A stroke of time
by EmEx
Summary: Kagome finds out something devastating that takes away her wishes to return to the Sengoku Jidai. Meanwhile, her mysterious decision brings unsuspected opportunities for Sango and Inuyasha. COMPLETE. [InuSan]
1. Only for six months

The timeline utilized in this fanfiction is used only in order to establish a context, nothing else.

**Note:** I Want to thank first than nothing to **Mujitsu,** my beta-reader. She's been excellent to me and her help has been invaluable in order to make this fic decent. She's a great writer as well, check her work at mediaminer dot org (Everyone should use beta-readers, they really improve one's writing!)

I don't own Inuyasha. This is for entertainment purposes. I'm not making money out of this.

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**A stroke of time**

By M-X

Summary: Kagome finds out something devastating that takes away her wishes to return to the Sengoku Jidai. Meanwhile, her mysterious decision brings unsuspected opportunities for Sango and Inuyasha.

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Chapter one: Only for six months

**The Sengoku Jidai, 1599 AC.**

"It's always the same! You're only looking for an excuse to leave!"

Inuyasha stomped his foot furiously as he clenched his fists in frustration. Kagome rubbed her hand over her face, the exasperation she felt making it very difficult to keep herself from sitting him.

"I already told you! I have to go Inuyasha! I am not asking for your consent and there is no point of discussion. I-am-leaving-and-that's-it!" She said the last words with a long pause between them, as if by doing so, her decision would be clear. Unfortunately, she forgot it was Inuyasha she was talking to.

"You're not leaving, stupid wench! You'll stay!" Inuyasha ran toward the well and climbed on top of it, shelling its mouth with his body, a stubborn pout upon his face.

Kagome sighed deeply and left her big, yellow bag drop to the ground. She could see her own reflection on his deep dark eyes and the sunrays made his black hair shine with strokes of blue. Behind them Sango and Shippo were quietly watching the scene. They didn't want Kagome to leave either, especially in _that_ moment, but they understood how important it was for her to return to her era.

"Look Inuyasha, if I don't go back, then I won't be able to go to college, I know it mustn't mean much for you but for me and my family it's very, _very_ important," --the miko ignored the young man's _keh--_ "and if I don't improve my grades and make up for all my other low scores from the past years, then I won't be able to accomplish my dream, and please, don't make that face, going to college has always been my dream."

The young man didn't appear convinced in the least by Kagome's speech for he refused to move an inch from his position. Kagome reached then for his hand and held it tenderly between hers. It still amazed her to find his long claws gone, or to gaze into his eyes and not to see that piercing feral look but two obscure orbs staring back.

"Please, Inuyasha, don't you want me to be happy? I wouldn't be happy if I didn't accomplish that dream," she said with all the sincerity she could muster and hoped he could sense it.

"How long would you be gone?" he asked in a low, resigned tone.

"Six months bu—"

"Six months! That's too much Kagome-chan! I didn't think you'd be gone that long!"

This time it was Sango who expressed her inconformity and it seemingly matched Inuyasha's, for he retired his hand from Kagome's and held onto the wooden edges even stronger. Shippo jumped on Kagome's arms.

"Kagome, why so long? Don't you want to be with us anymore?"

The teenager could feel menacing tears stinging her eyes, but she refused to cry anymore, not after they had cried so much. It was hard to believe it had been already three years since the first time she came out of the well, and all the things that happened after that.

"Please, understand, it's not that, I love you all guys and I don't want to leave any of you," she caressed Shippo's head and then left him on the ground, "but I must study for the national exam, or better said, _Test of the National Center for University Entrance Examination_," she rolled her eyes as she repeated the name that had been torturing her for the past year. "It is _really_ difficult and only the most prepared students will approve and… and I can't fail my mother and myself."

There was a long silence until Inuyasha spoke as he combed his hair behind his now, human ear. "Will you visit us?"

"Oh, Inuyasha, I wish I could but I will be doing extra curricular activities every single day, even weekends, and then I'll have to assist to a Juku after school and probably I will gather a study group that will keep me busy forever… but you can visit me, if you want. I… I'd like that, _very much_."

"Only six months?" The black haired human said and Kagome nodded, drawing a smile over her face.

"You promise?"

"Of course."

Reluctantly, Inuyasha moved from the well and went to stand next to Sango who, limping slightly, had moved closer to bid farewell to her friend. Kirara brushed her tails against Kagome's legs and mewed languidly, receiving in reward, a caring scratch on her head.

"Well, I guess that's it, I'm really gonna miss you guys, please, take care of Kaede-baachan."

"Don't worry Kagome, now that Naraku's gone she will surely have a more peaceful life," answered Sango as she approached Kagome and embraced her tightly, being careful to not hurt her own, broken arm.

"Be strong, my friend," Kagome whispered, so only Sango would hear. "That's what Miroku would have wanted."

"Y—yes… I know." Sango's voice shook with emotion. "I'll miss you very much Kagome-chan, come back to us."

"I will, Sango, and please, keep Inuyasha out of trouble, alright?"

The girl nodded and stepped back. Next, Shippo was picked from the floor again and embraced as well; the kitsune started crying but Kagome cleaned his tears, promising him lots of chocolate when she returned. It seemed to cheer him up, though just a bit.

Finally, Kagome picked her bag and hung it over her shoulder, but Inuyasha just stood there in silence, not making any attempt to speak.

"Well… won't you say anything to me before I go?" said Kagome.

Sango cleared her throat. "Er… I'll… um… go back to the village and help Kaede-baachan with the meal, I really need to learn how to cook, you know, now that we won't have any more instant ramen for a while. Come with me, Shippo, Kirara."

And so they were gone, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha alone. The girl gave a silent thanks to her friend for giving them some privacy before turning her attention to Inuyasha.

"Time will fly, you'll see, I'll be back before you know it."

"Whatever."

"You'll be alright."

"Sure."

"Please, Inuyasha, don't be this way, I need you to support me on this!" Kagome was losing patience again. How could he, among all people, make her lose her temper with only a couple of words?

"Ok, Kagome, want my support? Fine, go to your stupid era and do your stupid whatever it is, I hope you do real fucking great!"

"Oy! Inuyasha! Osuwari!"

Dirt was splattered around as face meet ground and it stayed there for a larger amount of time than it used to. Inuyasha finally stood up but couldn't help the groan that escaped his bloody lip. Kagome was at his side in a moment. A human couldn't take the force of an osuwari as well as a hanyou.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry, Inuyasha, I forgot! Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

"Let go of me!" He refused her attemps to help him up and sat with his legs folded instead, cleaning his broken lip with the sleeve of his haori. He remained quiet for some time and Kagome didn't dare say anything else; she felt awful for hurting him.

Suddenly, without thinking about it and before he could react, she reached for his neck and removed his nenjo.

"Wha--? What are you doing?"

"You won't need this anymore, and I don't want to hurt you again. I should have done it a long time ago." She tensed the nenjo and a dozen of beads broke free, spilling around them in a cascade.

She gazed at his face, expecting him to be happy to be released, even maybe a little grateful, but she certainly didn't expect what came next. Inuyasha stood up, a hurt look in his eyes.

"That's why you leave, isn't it?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"You leave because you can't stand me anymore! Because now I'm weak! Nothing but a weak human!"

"What are you talking about? Inuyasha, I don't care if you are hanyou, youkai or human! You know that!

He was going to retort, how couldn't he? Yet he was at a loss for words. All he wanted to do was to crawl under a rock and hide there forever, so no one would see the weakling, defenseless being he had become, especially Kagome, but all those thoughts left his head at once as he felt two arms wrapping him in a strong hug. He felt Kagome's small frame against him and cursed himself for not being able to smell her scent, but anyway he hugged her back, feeling his heart racing inside his chest.

"I'll miss you, Inuyasha."

"I—I'll miss you too."

Kagome felt the weight being eased from her shoulder as Inuyasha took her bag from her and hung it over his own.

"I better come with you, this thing is too heavy for you."

"Thanks," she said with a smile, deciding against commenting that now, the bag was as heavy for him as it was for her.

Seconds later they found themselves on the other side and this time Inuyasha found much more difficult the task to climb up, not being able to jump. He cursed his fate again.

Soon they were in the little shrine that surrounded the well and once again, unable to speak.

"You wanna come in?" she asked after some moments.

"No… maybe in another occasion." What if her family asked what happened to his white hair and dog ears? He wasn't ready to answer those questions.

"Well… I guess that's it," she said.

"Yeah…"

Kagome hugged him again and he responded, then out of nowhere, Inuyasha felt something soft and warm against his lips and a second too late he realized Kagome had just kissed him. She smiled timidly at him and he felt his insides melt all together with a painful throb as she separated from him.

"Be good," she said playfully and Inuyasha found himself smiling. Kagome was about to leave when she felt the urge to say something else.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Stay in the village, alright? Please, don't go around alone, at least have Sango go with you."

For a second, Kagome saw the feral look return to his face. "I knew it! You think of me as weak, as useless! I don't want your pity Kagome! I don't need anything from any one! I never have and I never will!

_How_ had they gotten back to this point?

"Shut up, Inuyasha! You're talking nonsense! Oy, I wish I could sit you right now!"

"But you can't, stupid wench, and now stay in your stinky world but don't think I'll be around waiting for you to return! Stay and go to your stupid college!"

And with those final words, Inuyasha turned his back to her and jumped down the well.

"Baka!" she shouted after him and then shook her head. He would cool down later and in no time he would be visiting her and playing with Buyo. No doubt about that.

With those thoughts in mind, Kagome headed home, longing for a nice, hot bath.

* * *

-Juku: A cram school Japanese students attend for extra classes in order to improve their grades. 

-Nenjo: Inuyasha's beaded collar.


	2. The unhappy ningen

Chapter two: The unhappy ningen

He felt something warm being placed over his shoulders and he raised his head to see Sango crouching next to him; she had just covered him with a quilt. Inuyasha rubbed his eyes and painfully felt his blood returning to the arm where he had been resting his head. Such things never happened to him as a hanyou.

"Why don't you go back, Inuyasha? It's getting cold. I made some rice and Kaede-baachan says I didn't burn it this time," she joked, well, half-joked, but no smile came from him.

"I'm not hungry." His flat tone only made her remember her own grief.

"You know… surely something came up, maybe that test she had to do was delayed or maybe her mother is sick. I'm sure she'll be back in no time," she tried to comfort him but he only shrugged his shoulders, however she had to keep trying.

"Please, Inuyasha, come inside, you're going to get sick and Kagome is going to be very mad at me for not taking care of you."

She received a muffled response that sounded vaguely like "_I don neef anyone to take cafe of me_."

Sango sat on the edge of the well and looked toward west; the dying sun was painting the sky in pink and golden tones. She breathed heavily. "I... I miss her too, and I think about her and how things were before, and I think about Kohaku, and my Houshi-Sama and the things that won't be anymore… I am sad too, Inuyasha, but I know _he_ wouldn't appreciate if I wasted his sacrifice by throwing my life away."

Inuyasha looked at her and he thought he could see her eyes mist. It was easy to forget there were other people suffering out there when one was immersed in one's own misery.

"I… I don't mean to waste Miroku's gift, Sango."

They stayed in silence for some time, Sango looking the fading sunset, Inuyasha losing his eyes into the black pit in front of him.

"Eh… do you miss him?" he asked hesitantly after a while. He usually tried to avoid any kind of sentimental contact with people, but this time he really wanted to know, he wanted… he _needed_ someone who felt related to his pain, to that feeling of loss.

"Too much," was her simple answer.

Memories flooded her head, those same memories that kept up waking her up at nights, screaming and sobbing for him to stop, to close his hand, to not abandon her like her father, like her clan, like Kohaku.

She would never forget how he had directed his last, hopeless smile to her as he whispered that he loved her.

Inuyasha also remembered that day as if it had been yesterday, how they had gotten the final shard and how Naraku had managed to steal it from them, completing the Shikon no Tama at last. He remembered as well how, in a desperate attempt to impede that monster from merging with it, Miroku had opened his Kazaana to get the Tama away from Naraku, and he didn't care about Naraku's resistance to let go of it, or all the insects he was absorbing, or Sango's frantic cries. He Kept the Kazaana open until it was no longer a choice.

In a moment, after a bright, blinding explosion of light, all that was left of Miroku was a deep hole in the ground, but Inuyasha didn't stop to lament the loss, he couldn't. During the distraction the Kazaana caused, Kagome had managed to get hold of the Shikon no Tama, but soon, Naraku realized what was happening and went after the frightened Miko.

Sango was in something close to a shock, kneeling in front of the smoking hole that used to be Miroku, Kirara was hurt and unable to help and nor Inuyasha neither Tessaiga were strong enough to take Naraku down. He knew they were going to lose, he knew Naraku would get the Tama and kill them all, kill Kagome, unless…

"You tried to get through the well again." The statement brought him out of his reverie. He turned to see his companion, who was pointing at his mud stained knees.

"What if I did?" he said in a low, grimly voice as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

Sango could perfectly picture him at the well's bottom, sighing in defeat and disappointment when, once again, he didn't disappear in a halo of unnatural blue.

"I didn't mean to question your actions, I just thought that you had given up. You stopped trying almost for a month."

He was about to tell her to mind her own business, but thought better of it. It wouldn't hurt to tell her. "I— I only thought it was worth it to try again, maybe it would work this time. I had nothing to lose."

"I suppose, so… did you use Tessaiga as a shovel or something?" Sango noticed the katana resting at the side of the well. It was covered on dirt.

"What? Oh, I thought the old thing might be useful for something. I should throw it away, or sell it as old iron, for all that it's worth."

"You should keep it, it was a present from you father after all."

Inuyasha stared at the weapon for some moments, and narrowing his eyes, he stood up and took it in his hands, he then unsheathed the katana and gathering all his strength, threw it as far as he could, growling in frustration. He did the same with the saya.

"I don't want it any more! It just reminds me of what I lost! I don't want to see it again and I hope it rusts 'till disappear!"

"Inuyasha…" But the black haired youth needed to express his frustrations.

"A month, Sango, she should have returned _a month ago_! She promised! Why did she lie? Why isn't she here yet? I just— I feel so— I hate her! And that fucking well that won't let me go through!"

"Please Inuyasha-kun! Calm down! We don't know what happened to her! Maybe her mother is sick! Or what if she didn't pass her test and she is too sad? Maybe she had and accident and broke her leg and she can't climb down the well! Have you thought of that? Kagome said she would be back and she always keeps her promises!"

He studied his feet for a moment as Sango's words sank into his mind. He tried to calm a little and better decided to curse his uncomfortable zori; it was still hard to get used to footwear; as a human he couldn't afford the luxury of going around barefoot all the time, his skin resented it deeply.

He just wished he hadn't let three whole months pass before trying to cross the well again since Kagome's departure, but he had been so angry at her. Maybe if he had tried earlier…

"And the well? Any answer for that enigma?" Inuyasha said all the sudden. He just couldn't let any one have the last word.

"The well just doesn't like you any more," Sango answered as she casually examined her nails, which had been able to grow a little more, now that she didn't have to wield Hiraikotsu so often.

"Is that so?"

"That's so."

No warnings, Inuyasha gripped Sango's head with one arm and rubbed his knuckles against her hair.

"Take it back!"

"No!"

"Take it back!" he pretended to sound angry.

"No!"

"Come on, wench!"

"Okay, okay, the well likes you but only because you are messing my hair up!"

"That's enough for me." And the humiliated taijiya was released, her head a messy tangle of hair.

"I'll get my revenge, Inuyasha," she said as she tried to comb her hair with her fingers.

"Keh!"

Night had finally fallen and indeed, it was pretty cold. Inuyasha reached for the quilt Sango had brought him and put it around her shoulder. He really didn't need it, his firerat suit protected him well enough, and he had noticed her arm had remained somewhat sensitive to the cold after her last injury.

"Thanks," she murmured.

"Why did you call me Inuyasha-kun, Sango?" he asked, his eyebrow lifted.

"Oh... I don't know. Does that bother you? If it does then I won't do it again."

Since Naraku's defeat, she had felt her affection for the former hanyou increase, maybe because since Miroku died and Kagome left, she held onto anything, _anyone_ who could be an anchor to what she once knew, to what her life used to represent. Or simply, it was that individuals who shared such brutal, life scarring experiences together couldn't be less than inseparable friends. Perhaps it was the motive that lead them to not part ways, when the time came.

Or maybe they just didn't want to be alone.

"Keh! It's not important, now, let's see if you manage to poison Shippo and I with that rice of yours."

"Alright, go ahead, I will catch you both in a minute."

He looked at her suspiciously. "What are you going to do?"

"Stuff, come on, go ahead."

"What kind of stuff?" Inuyasha cocked his head stubbornly but Sango needed him gone, so she decided to use a trick she had learned from Kagome.

"Women stuff, Inuyasha, want me to tell the details?"

"Oy, Sango! I didn't want to hear that!" And he disappeared out of sight while complaining about some women's lack of discretion.

Sango waited until his voice couldn't be heard any more and she headed to the place where she had seen Tessaiga and its saya fall, finding them right away.

There was no way she could let the katana that had saved their lives so many times 'rust until disappear', as Inuyasha had said. It would be dishonorable. So she sheathed it again and hiding it under her kosode, she trailed after Inuyasha.

Surely one day he would be grateful she kept it for him.

Before leaving, Sango looked back at the bone eater's well and wished for Kagome's prompt return. Inuyasha seemed lost without her.

* * *

- Tessaiga: Inuyasha's sword was called Tetsusaiga, but according to wikipedia, it was a kanji confusion mistake. The correct name is Tessaiga.

- Saya: A katana's sheath.

- Zori: Sandals.

- Kosode: That's the correct name of the kimono Sango wears. It literally means "small sleeves"


	3. The sad girl by the well

Chapter three: The sad girl by the well

Inuyasha didn't know why the well refused to let him pass. He had been shocked when he tried to pay a visit to Kagome only to discover the well would not let him go through.

Kaede suggested that he had been able to cross before because of his youkai blood, or perhaps it had something to do with a side effect of his bead collar and now that it was gone, his travels to the future had ended, but those theories didn't explain how he could cross that last time, when he accompanied Kagome.

_Maybe the effects hadn't worn off at the moment_, the old woman had supposed.

However, Kaede had also suggested another possibility and, according to Inuyasha, a rather stupid one; that maybe it was Kagome who allowed him to come and go freely, that somehow, thanks to a combination of her miko gifts and her willpower, she made it possible for him to travel to her era. But for Inuyasha, it made no sense, because if it was true then it would mean that Kagome had withdrawn that supposed willpower, and also, that would mean that she didn't want him to be near her anymore.

_Plain stupid_, he repeated himself once and again, even though he felt less confident every time he did so.

The matter still was that he couldn't go through the well and it had been driving him nuts for the past seven months. However, had he been able, and had he done so that very night, he would have found in the other side, 500 years from then, a very sad girl sitting by the same well in a position similar to the one he was when Sango found him.

Kagome sighed deeply, her eyes not moving from the dark bottom.

She _shouldn't_ be there, it only managed to hurt her deeper but she couldn't help it; she felt drawn to it inevitably and inevitably she didn't find the strength to take the final step and let herself fall through it. What was the point anyway?

"Kagome, it's getting late. Why don't you come inside the house?" Her mind was carried away from pointless things as a hand was placed on her shoulders. She turned to see her mother staring at her with concern; she hated worrying her so much and tried to smile at her.

"Ok, mom, in a second."

"Kagome, sweetie," the woman sat by her side on the wooden floor. "Why do you keep torturing your self this way? You must make up your mind."

"I… I don't know what—"

"My dear, it is obvious you want to go back, otherwise you wouldn't linger in here all the time. You know, Souta has started to refer to you as the well's wraith."

"Oh, that's nice of him, but I can't go back mom… I _know_ what I'll find there and… and I know I wouldn't stand it."

For a long time, she had to live with Kikyo's shadow weighing over her and at times it resulted in feelings almost impossible to endure, but this time it would be no shadow she would face. She just couldn't bring herself to do it.

Still, knowing the reasons didn't make the pain lessen. She just wished she could at least see Shippo and explain to him why she couldn't stay with him, but he wouldn't be able to understand.

"And that's exactly why you should go and confront it, or you'll never get rid of these feelings. If you are so resigned, then you can find them, ask them for their reasons, and perhaps you'll find your closure," her mother insisted.

What kind of closure could she get if she saw it with her own eyes? Only laughing at the irony of all of it, maybe.

She didn't need that.

"I really don't want to talk about this mom." Kagome turned away from her mother and fixed her eyes back into the well, even if she didn't mean to. Mrs. Higurashi attempted to say something else, but she knew her daughter well enough to know when she had made up her mind, so instead, she stood up and produced something folded from her apron.

"I have something that might cheer you up."

Kagome's eyes lit up at the sight of the item, half in excitement, half in nervousness. She stood up as well.

"T-those are the national test results! I forgot they came out today!"

"Yes you did, silly, now look into the list. Come on!" Mrs. Higurashi watched amused as her daughter stared open mouthed to the newspaper and all the sudden, the girl remembered she had to take it in order to read its contents. Kagome passed her finger avidly through the long list until it stopped at the _H_ and a huge smile spread over her face.

"I can't believe it! I did it! Here's my name! I'm approved, mom!"

"Oh, dear! I'm so proud of you! I always knew you could do it! Congratulations!" And mother and daughter found themselves hugging each other and jumping with excitement.

"Well, so, what about if we go and have dinner outside? This is an event worth celebrating," her mother offered after they separated.

"Ok, I'd like that." Kagome found herself smiling heartily.

"Good, we should have torafugu then, such an occasion deserves the delicacy. Don't you think?" The girl nodded.

Mrs. Higurashi clapped her hands, pleased. "Well, I'll go and get ready then, hurry up, all right? You know how grouchy grandpa can get if he doesn't have his meals at his hours."

"Yes, I'll be there in a minute." After Kagome's answer, her mother left the well's shrine.

Kagome couldn't tear her eyes from her name printed on the paper. She felt so proud of herself! If only she could share her happiness with Inuyasha and the others… but that was no longer possible.

_Don't think I'll be around just waiting for you to return!_

His last words still resounded in her head and she knew they would always would. She still couldn't believe he had meant them.

Her happiness diminished at once. Kagome thought that maybe, she and Inuyasha would have a chance after Kikyo had gone, but apparently the undead miko's dismissal didn't guarantee her his affection, even if she thought it would be that way.

But _her_?

She couldn't believe it, her heart screamed at her that it was impossible, a lie, but she had seen the proof, she had been face to face with the living evidence of that. _She_ was part of that proof!

_And to think I trusted her with him before I left._

Anyway, had it been false, Inuyasha would have come, but he didn't show up, not even once in seven months. He, who was always ready to drag her to his era if she was late only a few minutes.

However, all those times he came for her, he was in a hurry to collect the shards, but there were no more shards left to collect. Maybe, for him, she had been nothing but a shard detector after all.

Still, he had given up what he was to save her and he wouldn't have done it if he didn't feel something toward her. Right?

Kagome felt a pang in her chest and for a moment, she was unable to breathe.

That was it. Inuyasha hated her.

It was because of her that he became human; that was the reason he hadn't visited her a single time, and that was why he chose _her_ instead and didn't wait for her return.

Inuyasha hated her. How could he not? She was the cause of him losing his demon heritage, she and her damned weakness.

She, who was helpless if not with a bow and an arrow.

She and her lack of ability with a katana… or a boomerang.

She.

He sacrificed himself for her and now Kagome understood why he couldn't forgive her. How could he? She didn't think she would be able to forgive herself either.

She looked at the paper in her hands_. Had she not left…_

But there was not use about imagining what would have happened had she done things differently. The most probable was that she would have jeopardized her very own existence, if she thought about it coldly.

Enough. It was enough.

She couldn't keep torturing herself this way! It was killing her! It was making her life a living hell and she just couldn't take it. No more.

Kagome raised her chin, closed her eyes and breathed deeply, it had to stop. Now she would have dinner with her family and fake a smile for them, and that night she would go to her room and cry her eyes out, as she had been doing for the last months, but that would be it.

Tomorrow Kagome Higurashi would raise a new person, a person who wouldn't lament over truncated love, failed friendship or cruel destiny anymore.

* * *

Torafugu: Tiger blowfish. It is one of the most expensive (and dangerous) dishes in Japan. If not prepared properly, it can cause poisoning and death. 

**A/N**: I want to thanks all those wonderful readers who left a review. You're great ;)


	4. Two ways of mourning

Chapter four: Two ways of mourning

**Sengoku jidai. 1600 a.C.**

"Look at what I caught, Sango!"

The taijiya looked up from her sewing to see Shippo carrying a basket which he placed on the ground. Kirara uncurled and, after stretching lazily, went to the basket and subtracted a fish, which she started eating happily.

"Great, Shippo-chan, you've become very good at that. How many did you catch?"

"Oh, two for you, two for me, and also for Kirara and Inuyasha. I even caught some for Kaede-baachan; I can't wait to eat them!" Shippo made slow circles over his tummy.

"That's good. By the way, where's Inuyasha?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Shippo lowered his head as a shadow passed over his eyes. The young kitsune was having a hard time as well. Kagome's absence really affected him and some times he still cried at night for her. Sango had tried her best to comfort him, but nothing could replace the warm, kind love the miko showed to the youngling.

"No, I guess not." She directed her eyes toward the woods and felt her heart sink.

It was so easy to give in to depression, even inviting. For the past year, she got used to living with that constant, lingering wish for death, even if she knew she shouldn't have it… but, what was left for her? She had been unable to save Kohaku, Kagome had gone away and she had started to fear it was for good. And her Houshi-Sama had died.

But as she had told Inuyasha once, she knew Miroku wouldn't appreciate her to waste his sacrifice. If only for his memory, she would force herself to live. Besides she had Kirara, Shippo and well… even Inuyasha.

Sango shook off those thoughts and smiled at the child in front of her. "Hey, look Shippo-chan, it's ready!" She showed her craft proudly.

"Really?"

"Yeah, come on, try it on."

She handed him the hakama she had been working on. Shippo had grown up so much during the past year that his clothes wouldn't fit him anymore.

"Alright, wait here!" He grabbed it and ran excitedly into his and Inuyasha's hut. Kaede-baachan and the villagers had decided to give Sango and Inuyasha a small amount of land so they could build two small homes; it was this way because they had become some sort of legends among the village and the surrounding regions. It still amazed Sango to hear how they talked about the brave taijiya who had avenged her people, battling the evil Naraku with her giant youkai bone, or the valiant Hanyou who became human in order to get rid of the Shikon no Tama. She wondered how they possessed all that information, but she suspected Shippo's drawings had had something to do with all of it.

However, what touched her deeper was when the villagers talked about the handsome Houshi who gave up his life for his beloved one and friends, or the mysterious miko who had the power to purify the Tama, and who had returned to the strange lands she had come from.

"Oh, amazing!"

Shippo came out of the hut wearing his new hakama. Sango wished Kagome could see him, surely she would feel very proud of him.

"You like it?"

"Yeah, it fits perfectly! I had my doubts but it's great!"

"What do you mean you had your doubts?" she said, her fists at her hips. Shippo tried an apologetic smile. "Well, you know Sango, you're a great fighter but house chores aren't really your strong point, are they?"

She lift him up by the tail playfully and threatened, "You ungrateful kitsune, now it'll be better for you to start cleaning those fish for dinner if you don't want to see what I'm really good at."

"Ouch! Alright, alright! Inuyasha won't grab me by the tail anymore but now you'll start doing it?"

"The fish, Shippo, and I'll make you a nice hadagi."

The moon was high in the sky by the time Inuyasha returned and the village seemed deserted, except for the young woman who was sitting outside her house, working on a huge boomerang.

"Good evening," she said as he approached her and sat at the steps in front of the hut he didn't dare to call home.

Inuyasha made a vague sound in reply.

"I saved you some food, it's inside your hut. I hope Shippo didn't eat it though."

"Whatever."

"Inuyasha… you should eat something, you're getting skinny and that won't do you any good," she said in a patient tone, but he shrugged his shoulders.

"I've never eaten that much, anyway."

"Yes, but you're no longer a Hanyou and humans have to eat and rest more often, or we get sick." She knew that he used to eat because of the pleasure of it, not because he needed to, his hanyou powers providing him with most of the vital energy.

"Thanks for the reminder, want to point out another of my weaknesses for me?" he said bitterly.

Sango knew better than to feel hurt by his comments. He practically lived in that perpetual mood and it only seemed to get worse as time went by.

"By the way, did you hear the news? There's a new Shogun called Tokugawa Ieyatsu, after Toyotomi Hideoshi died. People says he's made the daimyo of all regions surrender and that the war might be coming to an end soon, isn't that great?" she commented, trying to make some conversation, but she could have been speaking about her nails and it would have had the same results.

"So what?" he snapped.

"So nothing, I just thought you'd want to know. Your brother is some kind of daimyo, isn't he?"

"He is my _half brother_ and he's a youkai. He doesn't go by the human's rules so stop talking nonsense."

Sango looked at him for a second and then returned to her task.

"Why are you polishing Hiraikotsu?" he asked after some minutes in silence.

"I leave tomorrow."

It took some moments for the answer to sink into his head. Was she leaving him as well? Maybe she had gotten tired of his bad temper, maybe he shouldn't be so rude anymore. Why should he care anyway?

"Where?" he asked warily.

His joined brows made Sango realize her statement had sounded too dramatic. She left her weapon alone and looked up, sighing. "It's been already a year since Kohaku and Miroku died," she clarified.

A year. A whole year had passed already since Naraku's defeat, and since Kagome went through the well. Never before in his life had Inuyasha felt time go so painfully slow.

"I want to go to their resting places," she continued. "It hurts me so much to know there's not even a bouquet of flowers resting on their graves, but I'll be back in a couple of weeks, probably."

"If you come back at all." He stood up and gave his back to her. She didn't need to make excuses for him. If she no longer wanted his company then it was her damned right to go wherever she pleased.

"What? Why do you say that?" she asked, but he had already lowered the drape of his hut behind him.

Inside, Shippo was sound asleep and Inuyasha's fish rested -miraculously-- untouched by the extinguished hearth at the centre of the hut. He sat carelessly on the floor and crossed his arms over his chest, but before he could start fuming, a feminine voice called from outside.

"Inuyasha?"

He didn't have to answer her. Why didn't the idiot wench just go back to polish her stupid weapon?

"Inuyasha, may I come in?"

"No," he replied angrily as he brushed his hair behind his ear. Maybe she'd leave him alone, but instead he could hear her sitting on the step he had been on before.

"Ok, I'll stay here outside."

"Keh! Do I have to know everything you do?"

"I will come back Inuyasha, I _mean_ it."

"Yeah? As if I cared, and why should you do that anyway?"

There was a quiet moment before she answered, "I have nowhere else to go."

His stomach felt heavy at her response. "So, that's the only reason you tag along this useless ningen, huh?"

His drape was opened and a regretful face appeared behind it. "Oh, no, Inuyasha, I didn't mean it like that. You, Shippo and Kirara are my only friends. I wouldn't leave you, ever, and besides, I want Kagome to see me here when she comes back."

His stomach felt even heavier. Kagome.

"Do you want to come with Kirara and me?" Her voice took him out of the dark abyss his thoughts had started to take him.

"Uh? Eh… no, I'll stay. Are you taking Shippo with you?"

"And leave you with no one to force you to eat? I don't think so. Kaede-baachan already has enough trouble with her villagers."

"Ha-ha, you're so funny, Sango," he said sarcastically.

"I know," she smiled. "Well, I'll have to rest now because I depart early tomorrow. Let me know if you change your mind, all right?"

"Yeah, right."

"Ok, good night then, and Inuyasha-kun?"

"Huh?" It was still weird for Inuyasha to hear her calling him like that, but he never complained about it; it really didn't bother him.

"You're not useless." The drape was back on its place and Inuyasha was left in silence.

It was not that he didn't want to visit Miroku and Kohaku's graves but he couldn't go with Sango. What if Kagome decided to return in that moment and didn't find him there? A part of him yelled at him for being such a fool; Kagome wouldn't return, but a much stronger voice screamed that to be a lie, that she would come back to him.

He only had to wait long enough.

Inuyasha looked at the empty futon resting beside him. He cursed not being able to sleep sitting up anymore; it made him feel off guard, defenseless against anything that might threaten him during the night. Well, more defenseless of what he felt day by day, but there was no help. He lay down and almost immediately, fell asleep. The fish wasn't touched.

* * *

(1) Hakama: The pants Inuyasha and Kikyo wear. For men, Hakama can be worn in informal occasions, but women only use it in special times or for ritual purposes. 

(2) Hadagi: The white shirt Inuyasha wears under his Haori, which by the way, it's not a haori but a kariginu, but that's such a difficult word, so let's stick to haori. :P

(3) Ningen: I'm pretty sure most of you know but any way, it means human.

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- You really have no idea how much I apreciate all your comments, dear readers. I mean it. I'll answer you all at the end.  
- Mujistsu, thanks so much for your help and patience.  
- Dear GA2: Sorry... I know this might not be exactly the kind of fics you normally like (cannon), but I just wanted to try something different. But don't give up on me, I promise this fic is good :)


	5. Of fries and possessive exboyfriends

**A/N:** I just have to say I'm absolutely _**LOVING**_ all the questions you're making! That's my intention! (also, to confuse you all a little). Thank you all so much for those clever doubts you're asking me, GA2, kiki ortega, BlackCat, moonlitephox, Plegh weasley, all of you. I promise those doubts will not go unanswered. And thanks to all those who are reviewing. You inspire me to update faster.

* * *

Chapter five: Of fries and possessive ex-boyfriends

**Tokyo. 2000 a.C.**

"Do you remember how often we used to come here after school? It seems like yesterday."

The Makudonaldo establishment hadn't changed at all, but the four young women sitting at one of its tables had. The old friends hadn't seen each other in almost a year, being too busy with their college studies, but they had decided to meet and remember good old times with fewer responsibilities, or at least it was so for three of them.

"I do, but now I fail to see why. The food has so much fat in it!"

"But we had fun, didn't we, Kagome?" asked Yuka.

"Yeah, well, you did more often than I, though." She smiled and combed her short hair behind her ear.

Ayumi nodded, "Yes, I remember you spent most of your high school time recovering from illness to illness. I'm so glad you are completely healthy now! You know, I always feared you wouldn't be able to get into college because you didn't have time enough to study."

"But she did a great effort in our senior year Ayu, didn't you, Kagome?" said Eri and then took a big chunk out of her hamburger; she would watch her waistline another day.

"I had to sacrifice a lot of things," –her vision went astray for a moment— "but yes, I did."

They kept on with their chat, talking about how their lives went and how difficult or exciting their respective careers were. Kagome had decided to become a doctor; she had got used to take care of others.

Later on the chat deviated to family, new friends and of course, boyfriends. At this point Kagome went suddenly quiet and her friends didn't fail to notice it, as they hadn't failed to notice as well how the merry, positive fifteen year old they had known had vanished and replaced by a more somber nineteen year old girl whose smile rarely touched her sad eyes.

"So, Kagome, tell us, what happened to that jealous boyfriend of yours?" Ayumi asked all of a sudden.

"Yeah, that's right! What became of him? You are not still seeing him, are you?" Yuka always thought that relationship didn't do any good for her friend.

Kagome lowered her eyes. She had expected they wouldn't ask. Well, she guessed she could tell them a bit of the truth. "I… um, no. We don't see each other anymore."

"Why?"

"Well, Eri, he decided to be with someone else."

"With that other girl, the one he was in love with when he was dating you? That double-timer! Men are such pigs!" Yuka retorted.

"No… that girl died, sort of." The answer seemed to shock them.

"What? Really? How sad, but still he went and looked for someone else? Why didn't he stay with you?" Ayumi couldn't believe her ears.

She didn't think she could keep talking about it for much longer before bursting into tears in front of her friends, and she had promised herself that she wouldn't cry over it any more. "I-- I don't know… I guess he couldn't wait for me."

"Wait for you? What do you mean?"

Kagome took a deep breath. "You'll see, I told him I wouldn't be able to see him for a while because I had to ready myself for the national exam, he got really upset about it and told me he wouldn't be waiting for me.

"What a jerk! How dare he! So that's why he dumped you?" Ayumi huffed in indignation.

"Well, he didn't exactly _dump_ me, but the situation was also my fault. Because of me he was going through a very difficult time when all of this happened so… I suppose he really didn't want to see me anymore."

"What could it have been? What did you do?" Yuka wanted to hear the whole story.

How could she explain to them that Inuyasha had become a human to save her from death? Of course she couldn't. "Well, let's say he lost his legacy because of me."

"Oh! He was disowned because of you? That's so romantic!"

"Eri! That's not romantic! It's tragic!" retorted Ayumi.

"Tragic, yes, but romantic nonetheless." Eri raised a finger, as if lecturing them over the facts of life. Kagome smiled a little at this. At one time, she also thought it to be romantic, but not anymore.

"Well, I think you could say that," she said at last.

"And who is the girl he is now with? Do you know her?"

_Would they ever stop asking her questions?_

"Yes, as a matter of fact I know her. She was my best friend."

"No way!"

"It can't be!"

"It's always the best friends!"

Kagome raised her hands, trying to calm down their ire. "But it's okay, really, it was meant to be anyway."

"Why do you say that?"

"Girls, I… I really don't want to talk about this anymore," she pleaded and then pretended to take a sip from her now empty milkshake glass.

"That's why you cut your beautiful hair?"

"Uh?"

Yuka repeated her question. "I said if that was the reason for you to cut your hair. You know, we women always go and try a new look when we break up with a man, just to leave the moment behind."

Kagome felt her limbs go numb; she hadn't seen it under that light. When she had decided to get rid of her long cascade she had said to herself it was to start a new life in college. She didn't realize that when she allowed the first locks to be cut, she had finally accepted that her new life didn't include Inuyasha. She felt her world crumble down one more time and it must have reflected on her face, because Ayumi spoke with a deeply concerned voice.

"Don't be sad, Kagome, we promise not to talk about it anymore, okay?"

"Yeah, and you know what? We all should go and catch a movie? Right girls?"

"Of course, but it better be a comedy, so Kagome will brighten up a little."

Kagome smiled at them, but once again, her eyes remained sad.

* * *

Makudonaldo: That's the way McDonalds is called in Japan. Funny, ne?

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- _Sdykikyou_, I don't recall ever bashing Kikyo. In fact I like her and I find her story so tragic. I really don't like to bash anyone. Not my style.  
- _Demon exterminator Barbie,_ You're right... How on earth did I miss_ 100 years_? I don't know how such 'little detail' escaped me and my beta... but now's too late to correct it as I have the story practically finished... still thanks for the warning. I might get to correct the whole story some day.


	6. Welcome to the family business

Chapter six: Welcome to the family business.

**Sengoku jidai. 1600 a.C.**

Kaede has known Inuyasha for a longtime and she would dare to say she has seen him in every possible mood; indifferent, sad, feisty, happy (though rarely), sullen, furious… in love.

However, depression was never one of those moods, or at least if it was, he covered it very well, and a whole year of him being in such state was beyond worrisome; she has learned to truly appreciate the former hanyou through all these years and it pained her deeply to see him like that.

It is not that she didn't understand the motives of his despair; he had become a full human even though he really didn't wish to and to the day, he still wasn't able to accept his new self. The counted times she had obliged him to talk about it, Kaede perceived how he despised his appearance, the loss of his powers, the weakness that came with being a human every single day, and not only the nights of the new moon. She dared to say he almost hated himself. And to make things worse for him, Kagome wasn't there and _that_ was what really was tearing him down.

Maybe if she had been there it would have been easier for him to embrace his new nature, to find peace and comfort in her presence and finally move on, but Kagome didn't return, as she promised.

Sango and Shippo have tried to help him, but Shippo was only a kid and there were little sensible words he could offer. Sango on the other hand, was of much more help and she tried to keep his spirit high, but she still had her own pain to deal with; the loss of her brother and betrothed were devastating for the young taijiya, although she tried to hide it very hard.

Kaede lamented that the final battle with the terrible Naraku had cost them so much suffering and wished for things to have been different for them, but it was unwise to question the ways of Kami-Sama. What she could do was to try to help them with every means she possessed. So far she had been able to give them shelter which, she hoped, could become a home for their hearts as it was already for their bodies. Her next target was to make them move ahead their grief, if it was within her reach.

Sango seemed to advance faster in that subject as her healing depended on her finally coping with death, and her journey to visit the graves of her beloved ones showed her progress, but Inuyasha's case was very different because his healing didn't depend on mourning for someone; he didn't have a grave to concentrate and bury his feelings and finally let them rest there someday.

On the contrary, he held onto a hope that barely kept him alive and, at the same time, was killing him slowly; a hope that no one knew if it could turn into a reality, because no one knew if Kagome would ever come back and that also hurt the old miko; now she had lost her sister trice; first when Kikyo died, then when that clay shell, in which her tormented soul subsisted, left the world again, and at last when Kagome, the reincarnation of that very soul, went away.

But she wouldn't lose Inuyasha, or better said, she wouldn't let Inuyasha lose himself, so, taking a deep breath and adjusting her bow, more out of habit than because she needed to, Kaede took the final steps and kindly, touched a black haired head that was hidden between a pair of crossed arms.

"Inuyasha," she called, but the addressed barely stirred.

"Inuyasha, wake up," she repeated, increasing her tone. Inuyasha moved his hand over his head as if trying to scare some annoying fly. Kaede finally gave him a small thud with the tip of her bow and at this, he jerked his head and looked up, the sun slithering through the foliage making him narrow his eyes, but a familiar silhouette blocked the offending rays.

"Eh? Wha--?"

"Inuyasha, you're still here?" she asked, her voice neutral.

"Kaede, you old hag! Why did you wake me up that way!" The young man received another thud.

"That's no way of talking to your elders," she admonished him but smiled faintly at him. "Now why don't you get up from that spot and do something useful? I wouldn't be surprised if roots began growing from your haori."

Inuyasha was about to retort, Kaede _wanted_ him to retort, to complain, to be feisty, but instead, the fire died into his eyes at soon as it had appeared and he answered in a monotone voice. "There's nothing useful I can do…" his tone trailed off as his gaze turned to the well behind him.

_Except waiting for Kagome._

"That's not true, Inuyasha, you are still a young, strong man who can be reliable and even resourceful, if you give yourself a chance."

"Keh! I don't know what good I could be in this useless, stupid ningen form— Ouch! Stop that already! Why did you hit me now?" He stroked his head where he had received yet another hit from Kaede's bow.

"Because I'm beyond tired of hearing you whimper all the time and complain about things that can't be changed, and also, I'm tired of seeing you doing nothing all day but hang around this well waiting for someone who you don't know will ever come back. That's why."

"She's coming back!" he snapped. "How can you say that? Don't you want her to return as well?"

Kagome had a family, friends, and that school she always complained about but talked with so much enthusiasm. Kaede always knew the girl had a life beyond them, always knew this was not her world.

"I do, I miss her as well and seeing her again would be a real joy for this old heart, but I won't allow my life to come to a halt as you have if she decides to do otherwise."

"Don't be stupid! My life isn't in a halt!"

"It isn't? Tell me then, when was the last time you caught your own food?" she said calmly, arching her eyebrow.

"Er— I— I don't--"

"Not since you turned human, if not for Sango, Shippo and myself, you would have already starved to death."

"That's not—"

"Or where is Tessaiga?

"I… uhm—"

"You got rid of it, didn't you?"

Inuyasha had repented for throwing the weapon away and had returned to look for it but found it gone. Well, after more than four months of lying there, it was logical someone or something had taken it. He shook off the remorse. "So what if I did? Why don't you go meddle in other people's business, and leave me alone?"

Kaede wanted him to be feisty, not to go on defensive, but apparently it was the best any one could get out of him apart from sulkiness.

She kept talking in that serene voice of hers. "And why didn't you go with Sango? Isn't your comrade, who sacrificed himself for you and his friends, worthy of your honors? Doesn't he deserve for you to pay him your respects?"

"I do honor him!" Inuyasha raised and stood in front of Kaede. True, he was taller than her, but still he felt diminished as the miko refused to look away but pierced him with her penetrating, knowing eye.

"And how exactly do you honor Miroku-Sama, young Inuyasha?"

"I er…" Nothing came to his mind; instead he felt a void forming at the pit of his stomach. Hadn't Sango told him something similar months ago? He let himself fall on the grass, a numb sensation running up his body. Kaede sat at the corner of the well and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Look into you, Inuyasha, and you will find that you are still in there, inside this _stupid ningen form_, as you call it. Show yourself that you still are brave, self assured, and all those things you considered yourself to be."

"I doubt it," he muttered.

"I know, and that is exactly what you have got to change." The words seemed to leave him pondering; maybe she was right, just maybe, but still…

"And… what about Kagome?"

Kaede stood up and straightened her hakama, she then walked pass Inuyasha and started her way back to the village.

"I'd be elated if she were to return, but keep in mind that she never belonged here in the first place."

"What?" He couldn't believe those words but Kaede didn't reply as she disappeared down the road.

Inuyasha would never be able to accept such thing. Of course Kagome belonged there, if not for her, he would be still pinned to that tree. How could her place not be there, with him?

Such thoughts didn't surprise him anymore, for the whole past year he came to the realization (or accepted the fact) that indeed, he loved Kagome and cursed himself for wasting so much time, time they could have been together. But instead he stubbornly blinded himself pursuing the shadow of love incarnated in the shadow of a woman.

Baka.

But what if Kaede was correct and Kagome didn't want to return because his time wasn't _her_ time? He knew –although he struggled to accept it— that she had a life apart from him, but he had hoped she would stay. Of course, at that time he still was a hanyou who could protect her in those violent times he lived in and not a nuisance for others.

No. Kaede was mistaken; he was useless, he would never be what he was before and if Kagome didn't come back then it was no one's fault but his own. Why would she stay with him, the powerless human who had nothing to offer her?

Inuyasha took his hand to the red yarn that was around his neck and wrapped his hand around the small, rounded object that hung from it. After staring at it for a while, he put it back inside his haori and hid his face between his arms again.

--------------

The sun had already started to descend when Sango finally saw the profile of the little huts of the village. She and Kirara had been traveling all day and they were tired and overwhelmingly hungry, but she gave a light pat to the neko youkai, pointing her towards the village and took the lateral path instead. She had no doubts she'd find Inuyasha there and indeed, there he was, with his eyes fixed in whatever he was holding in his hand and his back against the well.

Seeing him in such way made Sango feel a drowning desperation and she wished she could do something for her friend. Well, she hoped the little visitor she had brought with her would brighten him up a little.

"Hey, Inuyasha."

He placed the mysterious object inside his clothes and looked at the upcoming traveler. His soul felt less heavy at the sight of her and he had to admit he had missed her, even a little.

"Sango, so you're back after all," he spoke with pretended indifference. To be honest with himself, he had put that charade on for so long that it was hard to stop acting in such way. Fortunately, Sango knew him better than that and took no offense.

"Yes, I told you I'd be."

"So, how did it go?" He crossed his arms over his chest. He did feel a little bad after all for not going with her, but as he had already reasoned, he couldn't leave until Kagome came back.

"It was okay. Kirara and I visited my Houshi-Sama's resting place first and then we went back to our village to visit my father and brother's grave and, as I was already there, I decided to place all the unpurified youkai remains inside Midoriko-Sama's cave, to avoid any kind of incident."

"Sounds wise. Any problems on the road?"

"Not really, but I discovered something amazing in the cave."

Inuyasha tilted his head, curious, so Sango went on. "Well, Midoriko-Sama's body wasn't there anymore."

"What? How come? Did someone steal it?" he frowned.

"No, I don't think so, the youkai bodies weren't there either. What I believe is that after the Shikon no Tama disappeared, she found peace at last and her soul has gone to Kami. I'm glad for her, she deserved it."

"Well… that's okay, I guess, that something good came out of that stupid wish." He shrugged his shoulders.

"I found someone who's missed you," Sango said, changing the subject. She really didn't want to hear him go into a row of his self-pity babbles right then.

"Uh?"

Just before Inuyasha could even start to ponder who it could be, a spot jumped from Sango's shoulder and grew larger and larger as it approached his face. He could make out four little arms before the spot stuck its sting in his nose and started to swell up.

He knew that sting. Impassive, Inuyasha hit the spot with the flat palm of his had and Myoga fell softly into the now extended palm of his master. The small flea youkai recovered immediately and yelled happily.

"Inuyasha-Sama! I'm so glad to taste— I mean, see you again! Uhm, less spicy but still delicious." The flea savored his meal.

"Old Myoga! Where the hell have you been?"

"No need to shout, Inuyasha-Sama, A flea has business of their own and dangers as well, I had to keep a low profile for a while." Myoga crossed all his arms.

"Sure thing, I thought you had decided not to be around me anymore."

"What Myouga-jiji isn't telling you, Inuyasha, is that once again, poor Shioga-baba has been looking for him to marry him and this shameless old flea still won't face his responsibilities." Sango frowned, shaking a reproachful finger.

"I'm not marrying yet! I'm still too young for that!" Myoga cried and pulled at the few hairs he had on his balding head. Inuyasha smirked at the sullen bug.

"Ha! You don't change a bit," he said. The youkai looked sheepishly at his master and then attempted to jump on his nose again, but a fast stroke sent him flying away. It seemed Inuyasha's reflexes still were fast.

Sango looked at the scene amused, then cleared her throat. She wasn't sure how Inuyasha would react to what she was about to say.

"Inuyasha-kun."

He turned to her. "What?"

"I managed to buy three new futon, some cooking utensils we needed and clothes for Shippo."

"Really?" Inuyasha sounded surprised, having no idea how Sango could obtain such items.

When traveling, they really hadn't had the need to posses money, not when they hunted their own food, relied on the magical provisions Kagome brought from her time and had Miroku's talent to get them free accommodation and meals, but since they had been residing in one place, the situation had changed and they had been relying on what they hunted around the village and Sango's slowly improving skills to make clothes, using old kimono the inhabitants from the village gave her.

Sango berated herself silently at her indolence during such a long period of time. No matter the causes.

"Yes. I passed by some villages that were infested with some lesser youkai, that's how I managed to buy the things, with the money I earned exterminating them…" Sango offered him her hand and helped him up, then started walking toward the village, Inuyasha trailing after her.

He knew it was not her intention, but Inuyasha felt dreadful for not contributing to their survival. Kaede's talk came back to him and it made him feel even more miserable.

"…So, I've decided to go back to my family business, to say it some way, and I want you to do it with me."

Her declaration took him out of his thoughts. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"I'm a taijiya and I'm afraid there's nothing else I can do, so I'll go back to hunt youkai. You know, just because we killed Naraku it doesn't mean there are no more evil demons lurking around, and besides, we need the money."

Inuyasha looked down again. "Yeah," was his quiet answer. They arrived to the village and headed to their huts.

"But I want you to help me," she continued after a pause. "We'll get better chances if we work together." Sango entered her hut and exited a few moments later, carrying a kettle and other utensils.

"What? Do you want _me_ to go demon hunting with you? Are you crazy?" Inuyasha took the kettle from her hands and filled it with water from the well some feet from there, then he put it over the fire Sango had already started. They usually kept an outer bonfire place to avoid smoking the interior of their huts.

"Yeah, why, have you got something better to do?" She lowered the traveling bag she had on her back and searched inside of it, producing the already boiled rice sack she had bought on the way home, together with other provisions.

"Keh! I don't think I'd be of any use for you, the most probable is that I'd get myself killed, and maybe I'd get you killed too." Sango handed some vegetables to Inuyasha along with a cutting table and a knife and he started cutting them with dexterity. She observed the movements of his hands.

"Not in my opinion. You're still agile and you know how to use a katana. Besides, you have lots of experience, what could go wrong?"

"Yeah all that can be true but you forget I'm nothing but a human now." He passed the cut vegetables to her and received in exchange a half dozen of recently cleaned fish and several sticks which he inserted through the fish and put them by the fire so they would grill.

"And you forget I'm a human too and I've managed fairly well, don't you think?" She removed the rice from the fire and put it in two separate bowls, then a small casserole with the vegetables and some spices was put on the fire, Inuyasha was given the task to move the contents frequently so it wouldn't burn.

"But you're different."

"Really? How come?" She raised an eyebrow and he passed his hair behind his ear.

"Well, you… you are in great shape."

"Thanks, but that's not an excuse, you can get in shape too. _You'd be in shape_ if you hadn't spent all this time just sitting around."

Inuyasha scratched his head. "But you have Kirara."

"Kirara can carry both of us, she never had a problem when she carried me and Houshi-Sama." Sango retired the fish from the fire and put them aside their rice. A sad tinge remained in her voice.

"But you have all these human techniques against youkai and I don't. I didn't need them. I had Tessaiga and my hanyou force." Decided the vegetables were fried enough, he handed the casserole to Sango so she could serve them out.

"Once again, that's not an excuse. I can be your sensei." She handed him his plate.

"Yeah right," he mocked. "Anyway I don't have a weapon. Tessaiga's gone. Remember?" Inuyasha, reluctantly, spread his hashi apart and started munching on the rice. Sango constantly insisted on him using the damned sticks.

"What? What do you mean Tessaiga is gone?" Myoga emerged from Sango's hair. But the little youkai was totally ignored.

"If that's what's stopping you then there's no worry, we'll get you a weapon, _and_ we'll be gone no more than a day, so there's no problem if Kagome comes back while we're not here. We'll ask Kaede-baachan to keep watch on the well." After saying a fast prayer, she took a bite from her fish and gave Kirara her portion; the neko swung her tails in content.

"But--" he tried to complain through a mouthful of rice and vegetables.

"No 'buts' Inuyasha, you will help me and that's it."

"Keh!" But he didn't say anything else.

"Sango! You're here! I missed you!" Shippo's voice sounded delighted at the sight of her. The Kitsune jumped on the taijiya's shoulder in happiness, although soon, she would have to ask him to stop doing it, he was becoming too heavy for her to bear his full weight.

"Me too, Shippo, did you behave?" She rubbed the top of his red hair.

"Of course, I helped Kaede-baachan with all kinds of stuff!"

"Very good. Did you make Inuyasha eat?" At this, Inuyasha turned his nose up, his pride offended.

"Barely."

"That's enough." She smiled and offered him his own bowl of rice. Shippo received it happily, even if he had already eaten.

"Where's Tessaiga? Inuyasha-Sama! What did you do with it!" But the trio, too busy emptying their bowls, didn't bother to answer to Myoga's little voice.

"Inuyasha-Samaaaaa! What have you done with the katana!"

Not far from there, Kaede observed them discreetly with an eerie curve on her thin lips. This particular scene always made her smile. It seemed Sango was the only one who actually made Inuyasha eat without having to force him, and the best part was that Inuyasha didn't even notice it.

It called her attention how Sango and Inuyasha behaved; they ate together, they shared the house chores (even if most of the times, Inuyasha wasn't aware of it, just like some minutes ago) and were each other's constant companion. Kaede wondered half amused if they were aware of how much they resembled a couple. She supposed not, but she wouldn't be the one to point it out for them; perhaps they would realize that by themselves.

Perhaps the means to heal their scarred souls lied within each other. Perhaps.

Only time would tell.

* * *

(1) In Japan, kimono are never wasted or thrown away. It is a common practice to make new kimono from old ones, using patches or making them into haori. So I didn't mean Sango was receiving charity from the villagers. (Source: Wikipedia dot org) 

(2) Hashi: chopsticks.

------------------------------------------


	7. Sango's very secret plan

Chapter seven: Sango's very secret plan

Myoga had screamed, pulled, cursed, even bitten, but Shippo didn't have a clue and Inuyasha and Sango barely paid him any attention. His last resource was to jump all around them screaming nonstop the same question; what on earth had Inuyasha done with Tessaiga?

At last, Inuyasha, having enough of the annoying little voice, yelled that he had thrown the katana away and that it had gotten lost in the woods.

Poor Myoga felt several emotions at once; rage, indignation, shock, denial and disappointment, but his attempts for admonishing Inuyasha had been in vain and so the flea youkai got away from his master, crying over the invaluable, sacred, honorable weapon and complaining in loud voice about ungrateful sons.

So, it wasn't that difficult for Sango to find him, and there he was, sitting on the top of a leaf, soaking up in tears.

"Can't believe it!" –he whined— "The great Tessaiga, from the very fang of my lord Inutaishou-Sama! Gone! Lost!"

The tiny youkai would have surely continued with his grieving if a huge (for him), chocolate colored eye hadn't appeared right in front of his face.

"Agh!" he stepped back at the sudden view and fell off the leaf.

"Sorry, Myoga-jiji, I didn't mean to startle you," apologized Sango. Myoga jumped back onto the leaf and shrugged his shoulders. Sango almost felt sorry for him, but she knew his sadness would dissipate in a moment.

"Don't worry Sango-san, I'm fine… but still, I can't believe what that… that knucklehead did!"

The girl smiled and said, "well, the good news is that—"

"That katana was a precious gift!"

"Yes, that's why I managed to—"

"And a part of his father's spirit lay within it!"

"I know, but it's not--"

"Gone! And now it's gone! In hands of some hanyou that could bring mayhem with it or maybe a stupid human got it!"

"_I_ got it!" Sango had to raise her voice in order to shut the old youkai up.

"What? You have it?"

She smiled. "When Inuyasha threw it away I retrieved it, I just couldn't abandon it like that. It represents so much!"

Myoga jumped on her nose, practically shining in joy. "Sango-san, you clever girl! Kami bless you!" Immediately the flea started swelling and irremediably was slapped and fell on an extended hand, but he didn't care. It seemed he was smiling, though Sango couldn't tell; he had no lips.

"Um… I guess" –he said after his outburst— "it will be the best if I take Tessaiga with me, I'll hide it where no one can find it and where it can have a honorable place to rest, you'll understand it can't stay here, it's too dangerous and we can't give it back to that irresponsible of Inuyasha. He'd lose it again!"

Sango tried not to laugh at the mental image of minuscule Myoga dragging the katana all around Japan. Well, she would save him from such problem.

"I think I have a better idea about what to do with it, and perhaps, Inuyasha will keep the katana, as his father would have wanted."

----------------------

"What are you up to?"

Sango turned around and instinctively wrapped her hand around the wakisashi she always carried beneath her clothes. "Eh? Oh, Inuyasha, you scared me!"

She eased at the sigh of him; he was resting on a branch, his feet balancing back and forth. His habit of climbing trees hadn't disappeared with his dog ears.

"So?" he waited.

"So what?" Sango smiled nervously and rubbed her nape absently.

"I saw you sneak back to your hut and then come out with something wrapped in your mo-bakana, then you vanished all afternoon until now."

"Ah-- I don't know what you're talking about, I just went for a walk, you know, being in the village all day is boring."

"Keh! If you want to go all secretive that's fine by me." He went back to the important task of dangling his feet.

"Then… I'll see you tomorrow at first hour? We can practice in the clearing by the well, if you want," she said an Inuyasha eyed her with a frown.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"We'll start your training, remember? So we can go youkai hunting?"

"Keh! That's ridiculous! I told you I didn't want to do it! And I don't need any training!" Inuyasha turned his head away, his arms over his chest and an obstinate gesture upon his features, his raven hair moved with the soft wind.

Sango smirked slightly. "Come on, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" This time she had his full attention. Oh she knew how to play his pride; she had seen Kagome do it countless times.

"It's okay, Inuyasha, I promise to go easy on you."

He jumped off the branch and faced the taijiya. "Ha! I'm not afraid and no one has ever had to go easy on _me_!"

She raised an eyebrow. "So… Will you come?"

"You bet, wench! At first hour tomorrow morning."

"Alright, we'll see what you are capable of doing without big claws or magical swords."

She knew what his answer would be.

"Keh!"

And there it was.

* * *

- Wakisashi: A sword smaller than a katana. Usually a katana and a wakisashi are worn together. They are the symbol of the samurai. Sango wears a wakisashi, not a katana. 

- Mo-bakana: The green skirt (apron?) Sango wears.

* * *


	8. Konnichiwa, Sensei

Chapter eight: Konnichiwa, Sensei

She ducked and immediately, had to jump backwards to avoid getting hit, leaving a considerable gap between her and her opponent.

Inuyasha was panting hard, his forehead was crowned with sweat beads and his knuckles where white from his strong grip on the bokuto, but it was undeniable that despite his weariness, there was an expression upon his face that Sango hadn't seen in a long time; joy.

He cleaned his brow with his sleeve and, with a feral smile charged at her again. She kept her ground and their weapons clattered, a furious interchange of fast attacks and blockades followed as the combatants sparred.

Sango was having fun as well and she couldn't suppress the occasional giggles and victory cries every time she managed a precise move that hit home. It had been a while since she had had a fight that challenged her abilities.

There was a time when she thought Inuyasha relied more on the fantastic powers of Tessaiga than on his own skills with the katana, but right now she was being proved wrong. Despite he had been stripped of his superhuman force and speed, he was still agile and no doubt, skilled, although his technique was somewhat raw and it came more from instinct and brute force than from studied, well thought movements.

Indeed, while Sango looked graceful and supple, Inuyasha resembled more an uncontrollable, primal force; his reflexes were sharp and he reacted efficiently to each one of her assaults, blocking and returning them with almost the same dexterity and speed as her.

Almost.

Inuyasha finally caught her with a weak point exposed and, reckless, rushed to give a final blow on her shoulder, but Sango was waiting and at the last moment, she raised her weapon, fending off the attack and before he could react, she sent his bokuto flying and giving a turn around, stuck her training stick on his stomach.

He fell on his knees clutching where he had received the blow, his face becoming lightly purple as he fought to regain some air back into his lungs. He gazed up, his teeth clenched, but still he reached for the weapon resting at his side.

"If it had been a real katana, you'd have your guts hanging out you belly by now, dear Inuyasha," she said in a superior tone. Sango flung her bokuto over her shoulders and regarded the fallen; her face was lit in a smug expression.

"You're fast and strong," she kept going. "But to be honest you technique is a little sloppy and this is the _third_ time in a row I defea-- Hey!"

Sango barely had time to block the blow when a red blur launched at her with quick, aggressive attacks that forced her to back off. The blows rained on her in such a frantic way that only seconds later, Sango found herself lying on her back, Inuyasha on top of her and the wooden blade poised over her neck.

"And if this were a real katana, you'd be headless by now, dear Sango." He smirked.

"Cheater! I wasn't ready and you were already down!" she protested in a heated tone.

"I didn't cheat! You must never lower your guard!" he snapped back.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah! Now _sensei_," he taunted. "Who's the one whose techni--"

With a swift move of her hand, she sent the bokuto soaring and raising her legs, caught Inuyasha's head between her thighs, locking him in a hold and sending him to the ground. His back fell heavily on the soft grass, but before she could disentangle from him, he made her fall again kicking her feet. In a second he was again on top of her and this time, he made sure to hold her wrists and keep her legs down with his own.

"Ha! Beat ya!" he claimed in triumph, his smirk bigger than ever.

Sango threw him a deadly glare, her eyes only slits. Inuyasha returned the gaze; he wouldn't be the one to break the eye contact, not after he had finally defeated her, and more, considering the incredible effort it took him to do so.

They kept the gaze contest for a while, she trying to release her wrists, and he refusing to let her go. Inuyasha was pretty sure that if she were free, he'd have serious problems. Finally Sango broke the silence, a frown upon her features, but it was not the death menace or promise for revenge Inuyasha was expecting.

"But still, you cheated," she said with a pout and then, her lips split in a smile which soon became a hearty chuckle.

Inuyasha couldn't help it, the sound was contagious and he started chuckling as well. Soon they both were laughing so hard that he rolled besides her, clutching at his stomach. He wasn't very sure what he was laughing about but it felt good. He couldn't remember the last time he had actually done so.

When their laughter attack faded out, Sango lay on her side and raised her head, resting it on her hand. She smiled down at him and a strange, warm feeling spread through Inuyasha's chest. This was his comrade in arms, the girl who fought by his side in countless battles and yet until now, he hadn't realized she was pretty. Well, more than pretty.

"You can do this, Inuyasha. You see? You managed to overpower me!"

"Nah… you're right, I cheated." He looked into her deep auburn eyes; that warm feeling was lowering to his stomach now, he wasn't sure what to think about it.

"Well, yes, you did." They laughed again at this and Inuyasha fell again into her brown pools. Suddenly he was aware of everything; her proximity, the heat emanating from her glistering skin, her disarrayed hair falling on her forehead and her shoulders and her fast breaths, as well as his own. He felt the need to apart his mind from those thoughts.

"I… I'm sorry, Sango," he said and sat up, passing his hair behind his ear as he fixed his eyes on the grass. The morning sun was already up in the sky and it projected the trees shadows over them, guarding them from the increasing heat.

"Uh… Sorry? For what?" She felt puzzled. Inuyasha saying he was sorry? She sat up as well.

"For calling you and the others weak so many times, you know, when we were looking for the shards. Now that I'm human I realize the great effort you all did to keep up with me."

"It's okay, Inuyasha-kun, all that is over." She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and he couldn't help but like the sensation, as much as he couldn't avoid feeling disappointment when the contact was broken.

"So…" he suddenly felt uncomfortable. "You are very good, I barely saw your moves, and I have to recognize you're better than I am."

Sango, never being very good with compliments, blushed and looked down. Inuyasha could only think how cute she looked.

"Thanks, Father taught me well, but I have no doubts you can be as good as I am or better, if we keep on practicing like this."

_I'd like that. _"Eh… okay."

"I'll show you to improve your katas and we really need to work on your defense and… well, several other things but, you know what, Inuyasha? This was very fun." She grinned and took her hand to his side-whiskers, trying to remove a leaf that had entangled itself between his long black mane. Her slender fingers touched his cheek and for a moment, he felt the impulse to reach for them, but he saw something behind her that made him recoil from her touch.

"Oh, sorry," she said a little startled and ashamed; she hadn't been thinking when she went for the leaf, she just _felt_ like doing it. The girl blushed again but this time Inuyasha didn't notice it, his eyes were upon the bone eater's well behind her.

"S'okay," he mumbled and looked down. There was an awkward silence.

Kagome. How had he forgotten about Kagome? For the whole morning he hadn't thought about her a single time, his mind too busy with the fight, the rush, the fun of the combat… and Sango. A twinge of guilt replaced the pleasant warmness, though he struggled to avoid reflecting where such uneasy feeling came from, or what it meant.

Sango stood up and brushed the dirt from her taijiya suit, still mortified for violating his personal space, or at least that's what she attributed to his sudden change of humor. What had she been thinking?

"I apologize, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," she bowed and gathered the pair of bokuto, ready to leave.

"It's nothing, don't worry." Inuyasha gave her a feeble smile.

"Ok, so… we'll practice tomorrow?" she asked.

Despite his attempts, he found himself yearning for the next session, but drowned such thoughts almost immediately as he forced into his mind a beautiful face with bright eyes, raven hair and a green seifuku. "If you want to get your ass kicked again… then that's fine by me," he said at last.

"Maybe I will, but only because you'll cheat again."

"Keh!"

"Well… I'll go now, Shippo must be starving."

"Ok."

Sango started walking to the village, but turned around one last time. "I am really sorry, Inuyasha."

"I already told you, it's nothing!"

"Sure?"

"I said yes, damn it!" he raised his voice a little more than he intended and now felt horribly guilty toward her. What was wrong with him?

Sango fidgeted with the weapons and spoke in a small voice, "okay then… I'll leave you some food if you want to come by later." And after those words she disappeared down the road.

Inuyasha stood up and then sat by the well, resting his back on its wooden frame. He took the small item in his hidden yarn and looked at it as if asking for forgiveness for distracting his attention from its memory, from what it represented; his hope, the promise, Kagome.

As the practices continued for the next days, Inuyasha apologized to Kagome's memory more often than not.

* * *

- Bokuto: A training wooden katana also known as bokken. Nowadays it is used in kendo training.

- Seifuku: The Japanese schoolgirl uniform. Also known as fuku.

--------------------------------------------


	9. Ningen's first hunt

Chapter nine: Ningen's first hunt

"Are we there yet?"

"He already said no, you little brat!"

"What about now?"

"Oy Shippo! Shut up already! He'll tell us when we get there!"

"You shut up!"

"No! You shut up!"

"Will you both stop fighting now? What is Hayashibara-san going to think?" Sango interrupted and her two companions turned away from each other.

"Not to worry Sango-san," the man said.

Sango moved her head and gave a sigh before answering, "still, I apologize for their behavior, but please tell us more about this youkai."

"Oh… it has attacked the castle four times already and it has murdered many men, but no matter our efforts… we haven't been able to kill it. We're afraid it will strike again and maybe finish off what's left of our people." Iota Hayashibara's voice faded out at his last words, Sango related to his pain.

The man had arrived that same morning to Kaede's village looking for help, apparently he had heard that the famous taijiya and the valiant former hanyou who vanquished the terrible Naraku, lived there and that's how he found them and hired their services.

Sango was more than ready to accept the job, considering that it would be the first time Inuyasha would put practice all she had been teaching him. Besides, from what Hayashibara-san had told them, the youkai appeared to be a kuma-youkai, and those were easy prey, generally. They hadn't encountered one since the last time in that castle, where the daimyo Kuranosuke Takeda, had proposed her marriage.

"And the bear is very big? Is it scary?"

"Eh… yes, it's five times the height of a man, more or less." The man looked at the kitsune with some nervousness. He found strange that two youkai slayers kept company with the kind they were supposed to kill. In fact, they had wanted to travel on top of the small two tailed neko that traveled with them, only that in that moment, the neko was a lot bigger and a lot scarier, luckily they desisted at his reluctance. Well, they seemed to know what they were doing and he wouldn't say anything as long as they managed to free them from that bear from hell.

"And its eyes are red? Does it have large fangs?" Shippo left Sango's side and started walking next to Hayashibara, who stiffened considerably.

"Y—yes, it does."

"And does it eat the cattle and people? I've seen many youkai doing so and also…"

Sango left Shippo to torture the poor man and held her pace to catch up with Inuyasha, who had been very quiet during the journey, except when he argued with Shippo.

"Are you nervous?" she asked him.

"Me? Why the hell should I? It's not the first time I've faced danger in my human form, you know." Absently, he took his hand to his waist and gripped the wakisashi Sango had lent him.

"I know."

"Good."

They kept quiet as the castle started appearing in front of them but she wanted to tell him something else.

"You are not alone, you know that. Don't you? I'm here, and Kirara, and even Shippo, we'll watch each other's back like we always do."

Inuyasha wouldn't admit it but he did feel a little apprehension. All those times he had fought as a human, he had known that if he resisted long enough, dawn would come and he'd recover his hanyou form. And then the poor bastard who had the bad luck to challenge him would have hell to pay.

But this time there would be no dawn to change the balance of forces. He was a human and he would keep being one no matter what the moon looked like or if the sun rose. He just wasn't sure about anything anymore.

"Trust me, I promise I won't let anything happen to you, as I know you won't let anything happen to me." Sango's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He nodded and somehow, her promise gave him some confidence.

---------------------------

Night came --_you said we wouldn't be gone more than a day!_ Inuyasha had protested-- and still there were no traces from the kuma. Sango had studied its tracks and discovered the youkai was hiding in a gully near the village. They decided it was too dangerous to venture into the cavernous ravine and decided to better expect for the bear to attack. Funny, when traveling with the others, they had always relied on Inuyasha's nose to find their enemies; he didn't even know Sango could follow tracks.

Once thay had arrived to the castle, they had been given food and accommodation and were readying themselves to rest when a hysterical shriek was heard.

"Youkaiii!" And all hell broke loose.

They exited their room at once, Sango with Hiraikotsu at her back and Inuyasha with the wakisashi unsheathed. They were followed by an already transformed kirara. Shippo was told to keep inside. Inuyasha's hands started sweating.

The kuma-youkai was already causing mayhem as his huge paws lowered over the huts and pagodas, which crumbled under the attack; people were running in every direction, trying to escape from the monster while a useless rain of arrows impacted against the hard skin of the bear, causing no damage at all.

A boy fell while he tried to save a few possessions and the next thing he saw when he raised his eyes, was a black shadow descending over him.

"Hiraikotsu!"

The boomerang went flying through the air and severed a furry ear, causing the bear to roar in pain and fury and forget about the boy, instead it fixed its attention on Sango, who was already receiving her weapon back.

"Cover me!" she shouted and Inuyasha saw her ride on Kirara and both soared through the air. He watched in amazement as the fire neko maneuvered as the bear lashed out with its claws while Sango looked for a strategic point to unleash Hiraikotsu again.

What could he do? It seemed she had everything under control, but the demon deflected Hiraikotsu each single time and Sango was obliged to land again, not before throwing some smoke bombs into the bear's eyes, blinding it temporally.

"Inuyasha," she panted. "We need to work together on this, that youkai is faster than I thought, he doesn't seem to have spotted you yet so, I'll try to distract him while you get near him and slice his belly."

"Slice his belly? What for?" he asked, confused.

"Don't you sense how his force comes from it?"

A blank stare gave her the answer. How silly of her, Inuyasha wasn't trained yet to feel youkai auras in his human state. The bear roared as it started to uproot trees and smash buildings in its blind rage.

"Don't worry, just listen to me, go for his belly, slash it as deep as you can, then get away from it as fast as you can, I'll handle the rest, alright?" She was up in the air before he could answer.

Inuyasha grasped the handle nervously and took several deep breaths.

_You can do this, you can do this. Keh! Of course you can!_

And he charged against the bear, who, oblivious to his presence, was trying to clasp Kirara between his giant paws.

Inuyasha saw his target, it was uncovered and within his reach, he was going to make it. He sprinted to the youkai's midsection and readied to give the final strike but the blade never met flesh.

At the last possible moment, the bear sensed the upcoming human and caught him in middle air, throwing him hard against the ground. Inuyasha saw it raising its paw again and then saw it coming to him, ready to smash him into a pulp of ningen. So that was it for him. He closed his eyes.

"Inuyashaaa!"

He never felt the stroke but a piercing shriek forced him to open his eyes. The youkai was there, standing as if surprised, a deep gap was visible across his stomach and some feet apart was Sango, her face in a fierce expression, Hiraikotsu bathed in blood.

In a second the bear was enveloped in a sickening green light and after a final growl, it disintegrated and disappeared.

"Inuyasha! Are you okay?" Sango was at his side in a moment. He felt a little dazed as she tried to raise him up, but still he yanked his arm free from her clutch.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted and gave a couple of steps back.

"Why? Are you hurt?" She tried to reach for him again, but he retreated, not even looking at her.

"Inu… yasha? What's wrong? What's the matter?"

"Sango! It was great! You got him! That demon didn't have a chance!" Shippo came out of the hut and ran toward them. Some villagers and inhabitants of the castle started emerging from their hiding places.

"And you, Inuyasha, what a shame you are, you should have seen how you were tossed around!"

"Shippo, that's enough. Go and gather our things, we're returning right away." Sango's firm voice made the kitsune drop his teasing at once and he went to do as ordered, but Inuyasha still didn't look up, instead he buried the wakisashi deep into the ground; anger, hurt and frustration flooding into his being.

"Inuyasha?"

"I'm a failure," he sad with a mix of shame and fury in his voice.

"No, you are not, please, look at me." But he didn't.

"I almost got myself killed, as I told you I would! But you were stubborn and insisted on it!" He looked at her for a moment and then lowered her head again.

"I failed." His dark locks covered his face, making impossible to read his expression, but Sango didn't have to see him, his tone betrayed him. She got closer and passed an arm over his shoulders, for a moment he wanted to slap her arm away and run, or hit something real hard. He also wanted to bury his face in the crook of her neck and imagine what her essence would smell like, but didn't give in to the impulse. He stiffened instead.

Sango's voice carried her own guilt. "No, it was my fault, I… I'm sorry, I am so used to your old battle style that I forgot you have new limitations. I asked you to do something you were not ready to perform and for that you could have died. As your sensei, it was my fault, not yours, Inuyasha. Forgive me, please."

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "You don't have to make pity comments. You don't mean it."

"Yes, I do, actually, you surprised me, the way you sprinted was amazing, you reached a great height and using only your human strength, I bet in no time you'll be an awesome warrior."

He didn't sense any deceit in her voice. Did she really mean it? He dared to look up and found a repentant, worried face staring back and her beautiful eyes piercing him. Those eyes.

Inuyasha reached for the object attached to his red yarn, hidden under his haori and clutched it, trying to shake off the image of those chocolate orbs out of his head.

"Oh, Kami-Sama, thank you both! You did an excellent job! Thank you thank you so much!" the owner of the castle ran to them and bowed uncountable times, the inhabitants had gathered around them by then, praising and giving thanks and bows once and again.

Inuyasha felt his anger leaving him and smiled.

The early morning hours found the travelers returning to the village burdened with clothes, rice, some quilts and more money that they would have dared to ask for.


	10. The gift

Chapter ten: The gift

"Inuyasha, you moron! You don't use a wakisashi to cut wood, you use an axe!"

"Shut up, Shippo! I'll use whatever I want!"

"Sango's gonna be pretty mad at you for killing her weapon, you'll see!"

Inuyasha left the blade fall on the ground and grabbed Shippo by the tail, shaking him vigorously. It was a good sign that he was coming out of his chronic depression, Sango thought as she approached them.

"Ah, Inuyasha-Sama will not change in the least, just look at him, abusing that poor kitsune," Myoga opinioned from her shoulder.

"That 'poor kitsune' isn't as defenseless as he looks, Myoga-jiji," she said and effectively, just seconds after, Inuyasha's yell was heard as Shippo buried his fangs into his arm.

"Come here you little monster! Just let me get my hands on you!" Shippo ran as fast as he could until he spotted Sango. Quickly, he hid behind her and started making faces to Inuyasha.

"Get out of the way Sango, he's mine!"

Sango supposed Inuyasha would be already eating dirt if Kagome were there, but decided against speaking out her thoughts.

"Leave Shippo alone, Inuyasha," Sango scolded. "If you don't, I won't give you what Myoga-jiji and I have gotten for you."

"But he started it! Uh? You have something for me?" His eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Yes we do, Inuyasha-Sama!" Myoga jumped to Inuyasha's hand. "Although I'm not entirely sure you deserve it, but Sango-san insisted, so…"

"What are you talking about, old flea?"

"Inuyasha," Sango spoke, her face was glowing. "Remember that time you saw me 'sneaking' out my hut with something hidden in my mo-bakana?"

"Eh… yeah, why?" He narrowed his eyes as he tilted his head to one side.

Sango had planned on teasing him a little before giving him the object, but was unable to stick to her own plan. She smiled "Well, here it is." Nervous, she handed him a large, slim bundle wrapped in several layers of fabric. Inuyasha took it and puzzled, looked at it.

"Come on! Open it!" she said anxiously as she rocked on the balls of her feet.

"What is it? Did you get something for me too, Sango?" Shippo jumped to get a better view of the package. Inuyasha looked at them for a second and then started unwrapping the object.

He felt his heart giving a leap when the familiar saya rested on his hands. For a moment he was unable to breath. He looked to Myoga and Sango, who were staring back with reassuring looks.

"Go ahead, unsheathe it, Inuyasha-Sama," urged Myoga.

Holding his breath, Inuyasha took the katana from its saya and found his dark eyes reflecting on the bright, polished surface of Tessaiga. The blade was faultless and the sunrays reflected on the sharpened edge. It was beautiful.

"Wow…" breathed Shippo.

"How—how did you…?"

"It was Sango's idea, Inuyasha-Sama, she kept Tessaiga when you so carelessly threw it away, and I asked old Totosai to modify it so you could use it. It won't transform like it used to, or perform the kaze no kizu, but you will not find a finer katana in the whole world!" Myoga said proudly.

Inuyasha wielded the katana, producing a treble whistle as it cut the wind. It was light and fast but firm and Inuyasha felt immediately as one with the weapon. He passed his fingers over the smooth metal and then, charged at the logs he had been cutting. The blade went through them as if they had been mere butter.

"Amazing! It's—It's incredible!" he waved Tessaiga again, astonished at its lightness.

"I'm so glad you like it, Inuyasha," she said.

"Yeah I do! I… I… " he stopped and looked at Sango. "I don't know what to say."

"Can I hold it? Can I see it? C´mon! Let me hold it!" Shippo kept jumping, trying to grab the katana without success.

"Oh… it's nothing. I just thought you needed a proper weapon, so you wouldn't keep dulling my blade." Sango felt her face burn a little and lowered her gaze for a moment,so he wouldn'tnotice it.

"Oh yeah, sorry." Inuyasha took the forgotten wakisashi from the ground and handed it to her. Their fingers touched lightly and a bolt went through Sango's body. Lately, such sensations were becoming something usual and she wasn't sure they should.

"It's okay," she said as she veered her gaze. "Consider it a gift from your sensei," she said with a timid smile. When she looked back at him, it seemed his eyes were a little misty, but it was only for a second. Maybe it was her imagination.

Inuyasha felt a sudden urge and, without a second thought, gave into it; he reached to her and crushed her petite body against his whilst he murmured in her hair, "Thanks, Sango." Then, he placed a butterfly kiss on her cheek.

"And what about me!" Myoga complained.

He let go of her. "Yeah, you too, Myoga." He went back to test the katana, running around like a child with a new toy, Shippo right behind him. Myoga jumped behind them as well, probably trying to catch up with his master and have his meal.

Sango stood rooted to the spot, looking at the raven haired youth. One hand rose by itself and touched where he had kissed her. There, the warmness of the contact lingered on her skin, then went under her kosode and it nested itself into her lower belly with a pleasant, electrifying sensation.

That was not good, not good at all. Why was she reacting that way? She wasn't stupid, she could guess the reasons, but she dared not to complete those thoughts. It was wrong. It was treason. Inuyasha was Kagome's. It was better to uproot such feelings before they bloomed into something she would regret.

Now, what was she thinking? The simple notion was laughable. And pretty silly, at that. It was better to forget about such ridiculous ideas.

"Ah Shippo! You bit me again, you little twerp!"

"Sangooo! Inuyasha hit meee!"

She let those thoughts slip past her as she went to aide either Shippo or Inuyasha…which one needed saving she wasn't sure.

----------------------------------------------------------.


	11. The consequences of a vision

Chapter eleven: The consequences of a vision

**Sengoku Jidai. 1601 a.C. **

Inuyasha stretched his arms and put them behind his head, yawning widely in the process. His sweated haori rested at his side.

He felt very pleased with himself.

With time, under Sango's tutelage and his own perseverance, he dared to think of himself as an excellent swordsman and a pretty damned good youkai exterminator, even if he no longer had demonic powers as an extra help. Indeed, little by little he had started seeing himself under a new light, one that showed him not as useless or weak, as he considered himself at the beginning, but as a strong man. Yes. A man.

And he and Sango made such a great team; they complimented each other during battle in a way he would have never imagined. After all, he used to depend on him and only on him before his transformation, even if the others were there to help. He always felt responsible for their safety and it was nice to have a change in that aspect; to be able to share that responsibility.

Of course, they didn't get rid of the youkai as fast as they used to when he was still a hanyou, but they managed pretty well. They never lacked of job offers, that was for sure.

Funny. Of all of them, Inuyasha never thought Sango would want to keep on exterminating demons after Naraku's fall; he guessed she had seen enough battles to last her a lifetime, but apparently she loved fighting as much as he did and he had rediscovered some joy in his life as a result of that. And to think he had thought his existence to be void and worthless after he became human and Kagome left.

Soon it would make two years since she crossed the well that last time.

He wouldn't say he lost hopes for her return and from time to time he still kept guard at the well and even, though rarely, tried to go across. But he really didn't have that much time to think of her, not with all the time he spent training with Sango and going youkai hunting; he relaxed and had fun at those times. Sometimes he wondered if there was something wrong with him, for feeling relaxed after a good battle.

Yet, he thought of Kagome, despite the fact that after a while, her memory stopped from being that raw, painful open wound in his chest and became more of a dull ache that stung his heart now and then.

All he had to do if he wanted to dispose of that sickening feeling was to look for Sango and, after some well chosen insults and teases, force her to spar with him. It took his mind away from things.

But why she hadn't returned was a question that haunted his lonely nights.

Had she found someone else to be with? That thought hurt him and drove him crazy.

Did something grave happen to her? What if she… died? That possibility hurt even more and he knew he preferred the first option.

Or maybe she didn't come back to him because he had become human and no longer had those 'cute' dog ears she loved so much. And at that moment, he wasn't strong any more but a shadow of himself.

_Well, she should see me now_, he thought with a smirk and tilting his head up, looked at his arms. They surely weren't this developed back then. Now that he thought about it, Inuyasha was kind of skinny; with his innate strength, he had never had the need to exercise beyond what he did during battles, but now, he found his body still slim but well built, with each muscle nicely traced. It had been difficult to achieve that look and he felt he had the right to be proud of his accomplishments.

And the guilty one of such change was currently lying on his lap, oblivious to everything as her chest rose and fell in slow movements and her face showed a peaceful expression. Her legs clad in her black taijiya pants were near her chest, and one hand was tossed carelessly over his knees.

That year the heat had been almost unbearable, which promised copious rains, and Sango and Inuyasha had decided to rest at the shadow of a maple tree near the well after their morning training.

They had sat with their backs against the tree, talking about nothing and anything and after a while, Sango started to doze off, her head falling on his shoulder, then it slipped to his chest and at last, ended resting on his lap. He felt startled at first and somewhat embarrassed, but after some time he relaxed and decided to let her sleep there. No doubt it would be really funny to see her face when she woke up and realized where she had decided to take a nap, and that would make such a great teasing material.

Besides, it felt nice.

Blood flow started to fail so he lowered his right arm to his side and shook it a couple of times, but Sango was on his left side and there was no room for his other arm. Inuyasha tried to put it behind him but it was a bit painful, placing it on his chest or back behind his head wasn't very comfortable either. Maybe…

He eyed the sleeping girl and then her milky skin. Hesitantly, he placed his hand on her arm and held his breath, as if waiting for her to wake up and smash his head with Hiraikotsu, but Sango kept on breathing deeply.

He relaxed and finally let the full weight of his arm fall over hers. It was pleasant. His eyelids started feeling heavier at each passing moment, and at some point, he never knew when, he started moving his hand up and down Sango's bare arm with slow strokes, enjoying the soft skin exposed by the short sleeved hadajuban she was wearing; she had been sweating so much that she decided to take out her outer hadagi and now it rested next to Inuyasha's haori.

Her skin felt even nicer.

He was practically asleep, engulfed in the soothing sensation, but his touch must have awaked Sango because after some time she stirred and with that, brought Inuyasha out of his slumber.

He was having a pleasant dream and resisted to wake up completely, opening his eyes into only small slits, but they were big enough for him to distinguish out the corner of his eye a familiar silhouette with raven hair and penetrating eyes standing by the well.

Was he still dreaming? Inuyasha fought to emerge from his foggy dream and shook his head hard, this time his eyes wide as plates. His heart started running wildly inside his chest, but there was no one else there.

He couldn't have dreamed it!

He removed the waking Sango from him and frantic, ran to the well, clasping its edges and looking into it, an anxious look on his features.

"Kagome! Kagomeee!"

Sango sat confused on the ground; first for waking up (because of a very pleasant sensation on her arm) and finding herself on Inuyasha's lap, later because he dropped her in a haste and more recently, because he was at the well, screaming her long gone friend's name.

She stood up and walked toward Inuyasha, who kept on calling for Kagome. His voice echoed in the empty pit and returned to her ears.

"Inuyasha? What's going on?" she called after him but it had no effect, instead, Inuyasha jumped all the sudden into the well and seconds latter, Sango heard his body making contact with the hard bottom.

"Inuyasha! Are you alright?" She clutched the edge, looking down, her ponytail hanging besides her shoulder.

After some moments, she saw him emerging from the well, his face a mixture of disconcert, anxiety and bewilderment.

He was sure he had seen her. He had seen Kagome! Or hadn't he? Had he been dreaming?

"Inuyasha?" Sango's worried voice reached his ears and he raised his gaze to meet her perplexed visage.

"I saw her, I saw Kagome!" he declared, his voice trembled a little.

"What?" She let her jaw drop and incredulous, fixed her eyes on the well. Surely it looked the same as it had looked for the past two years.

"Are you sure?" she asked, her eyes studying now his face, for a moment she wanted to reach to his forehead and feel for a fever. Maybe the heat had affected him.

"I don't know! I—I think I saw her! She was looking at us, standing right here!"

Sango looked at the well again. If Kagome had come, she was pretty sure she would have at least talked to them, after all that time of being absent. It would have been a joyous reencounter. She looked back at him.

"I think you were dreaming, Inuyasha. If Kagome had returned, she would have stayed. I'm sure of that," she said in a calm voice, trying to not upset the already altered young man.

"But I— I saw— she… she…" Inuyasha didn't find the words. Had he been dreaming indeed? Sango's words seemed to make sense. Kagome wouldn't return just to leave again.

He dropped on the grass and rested his head on his hands; he wasn't sure what to think. Why had that vision come and torture him, now that he was finding some peace?

Sango knelt down next to him and patted him on the shoulder. "Are… are you okay?"

Maybe that's why. He had dared to let his feelings for Kagome go numb, he had allowed her face slip little by little to his sub conscience. He had let Sango rest on his lap, and he had dared to like it, to crave for her touch. More than once.

"Leave me," was his only, low response, but it was so firm, so vehement, that Sango felt as if her touch on his shoulder burned her.

"A— alright," she said and stood up, a hurt tone in her voice. "Then I… I'll meet you back at the village… I'll get everything settled for the journey."

"I'm not going."

"But—"

"I'm not going. I can't."

Sango opened her mouth and closed it again, letting a sigh escape her lips and her shoulders drop in defeat; she knew better than to try to convince him now. She nodded and turned around, and then walked to the maple tree and picked their bokuto. They never practiced with their swords.

Inuyasha could see her retreat to the village with a slow pace but he couldn't go with her, as well as he couldn't accompany her to her now annual trip to visit Miroku and her kin's tombs the next day, as he had promised.

What if what he saw was a signal? Maybe Kagome was about to return, and she _had_ to find him there. His heart beat wildly at the sole idea.

Inuyasha pulled the small, rounded object in the yarn from his hadagi and held it tightly to his chest.

She was coming back, she was coming back. He knew it.

---------------------------------

**Tokyo. 2001 a.C.**

Slowly, Kagome lowered her feet to the floor of the little shrine that contained the ancient bone eater's well and she felt for the frame and sat on it, her eyes astray.

She felt cold, like anesthetized, as her mind went over and over the scene she had just contemplated on the other side. Her vision blurred and she realized she hadn't been breathing, probably since she had spotted them under that tree, her head on his lap, his hand caressing her arm in such an intimate touch… so caring…

She shook her head with almost violence, her short hair stroking her shoulders as she desperately tried to erase those images, but there was no use.

Well. She had seen them, right? That was the purpose of her going back. Wasn't it? But she just froze at the view, even if it was predictable, and felt as if a black hole swallowed her very much as Miroku's kazaana had done to him

And then, Sango moved, and Inuyasha started to wake up. Kagome panicked.

All the sudden she didn't want them to spot her, to acknowledge her presence, she didn't want to know anything. With no second thoughts she jumped back in the well and ran away. Her questions were left unanswered.

_How did it happen? What made it happen? What drew them together? Why?_

_Why didn't you wait for me, Inuyasha?_

That morning she had finally made up her mind and was ready, she thought, to obtain the responses for those questions and maybe to get, as her mother had said once, some kind of closure. She had tried very hard to move on and forget about Inuyasha, but those issues still disturbed her and she wanted to hear the answers. She _deserved_ those answers.

But Kagome was unable to get them.

And why wasn't she crying? She surely felt like shedding a river, but tears wouldn't come. Her eyes didn't even prick, but the cold wouldn't abandon her.

Kagome liked to think she was a strong person, but at the moment, she felt to be everything but strong. She sighed and lowered her head until her chin touched her chest and wondered why she tormented herself with something so futile, something that had been even before she was born, and her mother, and her grandfather, and his grandfather's grandfather…

"Higurashi. Are you in there?"

A kind voice made her jerk her head up and she saw a tall, slender figure approaching the little shrine. She passed her hand over her eyes and retrieved some moisture. What about that, she had cried a little, after all.

"Higurashi, your mother told me you were here." A smiling face appeared at the threshold.

Kagome felt like rolling her eyes. She did _not_ want to talk to Hojo right now. She considered for a moment jumping back into the well just the escape him, but on second thoughts, she preferred to deal with Hojo any day than with… with _that._

Resigned, she stood up and smiled at him. "Oh, Hojo-kun. What are you doing here on a Saturday morning?" She got her answer when her eyes found his arms tugged with about a dozen books. Oh. She had forgotten.

"We were supposed to study today, remember? For Monday's anatomy test. I said I'd come by your house today and you said it was okay." For a second, his voice reflected some disillusion for her rashness at their appointment, but covered it very well with another of those charming smiles that had so many girls at the faculty going head over feet for him.

"Oh… yeah, that's true, sorry, how silly of me. I was… uh… I was only…"

"It's okay, if you're busy I can go." There was that disappointed tone again. It made Kagome feel miserable, for him and his eternal infatuation with her, and for herself, for being in a similar situation. What a pair of pathetic losers they were.

She started to laugh, though for her ears, the sound was rather grim.

"Higurashi, do you feel okay?" Hojo got closer to her and waited patiently as her laugh subsided.

"I… I'm okay Hojo, please forgive me, I wasn't laughing at you, I was just remembering something kind of funny… I'm sorry for forgetting about our appointment."

"Don't worry about that, so… do you want me to leave?" he asked apprehensively.

"I… no, no, that's okay, we have a lot to study." She tried to smile but wasn't sure if she accomplished it.

"Higurashi, do you feel okay? You seem a little pale, perhaps you should better rest. I don't want you to fall sick or something."

Good Hojo. Always so considerate, always putting others before him. He indeed reminded Kagome of herself, at a time.

"No. I am fine, now it will be better if we get started with all these books, here, let me help you." Kagome grabbed some of the books from his arms and exited the shrine. Hojo wanted to ask more but decided against it and followed her to the house.

"By the way, what were you doing in there?"

Kagome didn't respond but she expected the location of the duodenum and the portal vein would keep her mind out of it.

"Nothing. So Hojo, how are the clinic plans going?"

-----------------------------

**Sengoku Jidai. 1601 a.C. **

"Inuyashaaaaaa, Why ain't you coming?" Shippo came running and stopped in front of Inuyasha, a furoshiki that surely contained his traveling gear was tied around his shoulders.

Inuyasha looked at him but didn't respond, Shippo, curious, looked down the well.

"Sango says you thought to saw Kagome yesterday. Is it true?" Inuyasha threw him a side glance but still didn't answer.

Shippo looked meditatively at the well and then regarded the sad man sitting next to it. "I don't think she came. I bet she would have come to see me if she had returned." The now practically adolescent kitsune looked at the sky with a longing stare.

"You better come with us. What are you gonna do here all by yourself?"

"Keh!"

"You better leave him alone, Shippo." Sango appeared down the pat, her own furoshiki in hand, Hiraikotsu at her back and a small Kirara besides her. She stood in front of Inuyasha and regarded him with a hard gaze. "If he wants to stay here then that's his choice."

Inuyasha couldn't help looking at her hard stoned face._ Now what was her problem?_

"We'll be back in two weeks, see you until then, and _please_ don't stay here all the time, it seems the weather will be unpleasant," she said in a cold tone and with no further words, she gave her back to him and walked away.

"Tsk, tsk, Inuyasha, I don't know what you did to her but she's really pissed off at you."

"Get the hell out of here you little pest." Inuyasha growled.

"Shippo, are you coming?" Sango called him. The red haired youkai stuck out his tongue and ran after Sango and Kirara.

Sango turned her head one more time to see that… that _stubborn_ man still sitting by the well.

She was so mad at him! All that hard work to get him off of his ass and a single hallucination of Kagome was enough to make him go back to his foul temper and his fastidious, disagreeable, detestable, awful manners!

Indeed, all the way back to two years ago. For Kami's sake, the guy didn't even sleep in his hut! He had stayed by the well all night! She couldn't believe him!

It was as if these past two years hadn't existed, as if he forgot he had learned how to smile again, how to bother Shippo, how to enjoy life. As if he forgot what she taught him, what they learned together. One more time all that existed in his world was Kagome and the hope for her return. Nothing else. _No one_ else.

After a while, Sango wasn't sure why exactly she was mad at him.

* * *

Hadajuban: It's a thin waist length kimono used as underwear. Ok, maybe in real terms, it wouldn't be correct for Sango to be with a man only in her hadajuban… but… well, I just used creative license here. :P 


	12. Sango and Shippo's journey

**A/N:** Hi everybody. I'm so, so sorry for the delay in this chapter but… it was impossible for me to upload it earlier, the situation was out of my hands. Sorry, but here it is. Enjoy. :D

* * *

Chapter twelve: Sango and Shippo's journey

Sango's prediction resulted to be correct. On their second day of the journey it started raining and it didn't stop since then, hindering their travel and making them stay in the inns more than they would have wanted.

Sango discovered that a sole woman traveling with a kitsune and a weird looking neko wasn't as well regarded (or tolerated) as a woman traveling with a kitsune, a weird looking neko, a houshi, a scary hanyou and a miko, even if she dressed funny. So that made their experience with the innkeepers and other guests… unpleasant, to put it in a way, especially because of Shippo; he wasn't that small, cute kitsune cub anymore, but a tall teenager with more pronounced fangs and pointy ears. She estimated he had turned thirteen that year.

It required very generous tips from Sango to keep them out of trouble, so for Shippo's sake (and Sango's pocket as well), they decided to camp in the country from then on, despite the rain.

It took almost six days for the travelers to reach Miroku's resting place, and after paying their respects, they headed for Sango's village on foot. They knew they would have reached the place much faster riding on Kirara, but for Sango, walking to their destinations gave the journey a deeper significance.

On the twelfth day they arrived at the deserted taijiya village where they placed flowers in each one of the tombs and prayed for their prompt and happy reincarnations, though they hadn't done so for Miroku. Sango believed that, despite his lecherous ways, his final sacrifice achieved him his so longed Nirvana and his soul had finally found eternal bliss. At least she liked to think that way.

While Shippo went to the main house and started doing some work on the leaking roof, Sango stayed a little longer knelt in front of her father and Kohaku's tombs. She had retrieved his father's corpse from that dishonored soil where he had been buried and brought him back home, next to his beloved wife and son.

Then, they worked all day under a light rain, fixing the house. No doubt, they would have advanced much faster had Inuyasha been there, Sango thought with irritation. She had made some repairs last year when she visited, but now, with Shippo's help they advanced much faster and by nightfall the place was more than inviting for cooking dinner and spending the night.

On next day they kept on with the work on the village gates and Sango led Shippo to Midoriko's cave to show him how her crystallized corpse had disappeared indeed and at the end of the day, they decided to spend another night at the village in hopes for the rain to cease.

* * *

Naraku sneered as his tentacles stretched in the direction of the darkened sphere. His cold, cruel laughter reached Sango's ears and made that icy feeling that had taken over her body disappear. She felt her blood boil instead.

Carefully, she laid Kohaku's lifeless body on the burned grass and kissed his forehead while she closed his eyelids with a trembling hand. She then gripped Hiraikotsu with such strength that her nails drew blood from her palm. In that moment, pain was good.

"Let's go Kirara," she said in a hard, inert voice as she mounted the fire neko and they both went into the air.

"NARAKU!"

A fierce scream made the vile monster turn his head and suddenly, he saw his prize out of his reach as Hiraikotsu impaled his appendage, then the taijiya, frenetic, kept bashing at his limbs with her boomerang, impeding him to get to the precious Shikon no Tama. Her attack was ruthless and uncontrolled and it managed to make Naraku retrocede, but not before he lashed at her with his tentacle, sending her and Kirara to the ground with so much force that bones could be heard splitting and a long, painful moan left Kirara's jaws. Her mistress couldn't even mutter a sound.

"Sango!" she could hear Miroku's screams, but everything was a blur and for a moment too long, she was oblivious to everything around her.

When she raised her head again Miroku was standing between her and the monster, his open hand held high. It seemed he was trying to attract the tama to him using his Kazaana, but Naraku, who had already clutched the tiny sphere with one of his tentacle's tips, wouldn't let go. She saw Inuyasha trying to slash it, but his attack was repelled with another of those horrendous, never-ending limbs, and Kagome's arrows disintegrated many, but they emerged once and again, yet Miroku wouldn't close the Kazaana, preventing the repugnant youkai from securing the tama.

Then, Naraku's insects made their appearance and headed for him.

That was it, she thought. Miroku would have to close his hand and Naraku would have the Shikon no Tama, and everything would have been in vain, the quest, the suffering, the pain, Kohaku's death…

But Miroku didn't do such thing. Insects disappeared in the black hole as the tama became an inch closer to the houshi.

"Don't be stupid Miroku, stop right now!"

"Miroku!"

She could hear Inuyasha and Kagome's frantic yells and it finally sank into her. Miroku wouldn't stop. He would do anything to stop Naraku, he had told her once. He wouldn't stop.

A piercing pain went through her arm and leg as she tried to rise but she didn't care, she had to get to him. She took a couple of steps bur she couldn't go further or she would be too close to the Kazaana, that's why neither Kagome nor Inuyasha could get near him, but they tried to bring the foul beast down with all their will, slashing, clawing, shooting, anything within their power.

"Houshi-Sama! Please! Don't do it! Please, close your hand!" Sango screamed at him.

She covered her eyes from all the dirt and leaves and rubble the Kazaana was pulling from all directions and could see Miroku's outlined face contorted in concentration and pain. She couldn't let this happen. She couldn't let him do it! But a second intent to move closer made her fall, this time she found it impossible to get up again. Tears ran down her cheek as she lay there, scared, frustrated and angry. All she could do was watch.

Meanwhile the Kazaana kept growing and more insects went into the void.

"Houshi-Sama! Houshi-Sama don't do it!" she cried.

In that last moment, Miroku turned his head to her and gave her a tender look, one that held all the promises they had whispered to each other at nights, when the others were asleep, and all the dreams they had wanted to share, and all what was supposed to be.

"No! Don't leave me, Houshi-Sama! Miroku!"

He flashed her one last, charming smile and said _I love you_, then, the Kazaana literally exploded and a black void expanded all around the houshi as the wind swirled uncontrollably. Sango had to hold onto a root to avoid getting dragged and barely caught the small Kirara despite the pain on her damaged arm.

The unnatural blackness subsided and the damned orb finally escaped Naraku's grasp, falling on the ground at Kagome's feet. There was nothing where Miroku had been standing just seconds before, nothing but a black hole.

"Miroku! Miroku!"

"MIROKU!"

The girl sprang from her futon, panicked and agitated.

She looked around, frantic, until her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she was able to recognize her surroundings. Sango passed a hand over her face and cleared the plastered, sweaty hair that had stuck on her forehead, then gave a gulp of air, trying to slow her breathing.

That nightmare again. It had been a while since she had it. She even had held the small hope to never experience it again, but it seemed she would never stop remembering about their death; every single moment was perfectly etched in her memory.

She heard a sudden noise and raising her head, noticed a silhouette drawn against the moonlight coming from the window. She reacted immediately and felt for the wakisashi resting by her side, but even before she could touch the saya, a magical blue flame illuminated the room and a couple of pointy ears and bushy, orange hair appeared in front of her.

"Sango, are you alright?" Shippo's worried voice echoed through the practically empty house. She relaxed and passed a hand over her eyes.

"I… yes, I'm fine… I'm sorry, I woke you up."

"That's okay, I wasn't sleeping anyway. You were dreaming about Miroku, right?"

"Yeah…"

"You screamed Kohaku's name too," Shippo commented and after extinguishing his fire, he laid down on his futon. Sango said nothing as she did the same and covered up her shoulders with her quilt. She knew sleep wouldn't come. It never did after that dream.

The monotone tone of crickets filled the air and the soft rain hit the roof. She could hear Shippo rolling on his futon.

"Aren't you tired"? she finally asked.

"Not really, um… Sango, can I ask you a question?" Shippo rested his head on his hand and Sango turned her head to him.

"What is it?"

"Do you dream of Miroku and Kohaku a lot?"

Sango thought for a second before responding. "I used to dream about them every night before, but now it only happens once in a while."

"Oh."

"Why do you ask?"

The kitsune lay on his back again and looked at the recently repaired roof.

"I used to dream about Kagome a lot, and then the dreams stopped." His voice trailed off. Sango waited for him to continue, but he didn't.

"Does that worry you?" she asked.

He looked back at her. "You think it's wrong that I stopped dreaming about her?"

"No," she answered with a soft tone.

"Sometimes I feel that it's like I forgot about her, and I feel relieved because it doesn't hurt so much anymore, but then I feel bad about it at the same time, and I don't know what to think of that." He heaved a sigh.

"Don't feel bad about that Shippo, no matter how bad it is, pain eventually goes away and it's normal to move on. It doesn't have to hurt all the time to show that we miss the people who have left us."

There was a long pause until Shippo spoke again. "Do you miss Kagome?"

"I do but it… it's strange…"

"Really? Why?"

"Well… I missed her very much at the beginning, and then I felt very sad when she didn't return, then I became mad at her, though I tried to hide it so no one would notice it, because I felt ashamed of those feelings, but now… I feel resigned." Now it was her turn to sigh.

"Resigned?"

"Yes… I mean, I'd be very happy if she came back, but I'm ready to accept the possibility that maybe she won't."

Shippo kept quiet again and then confessed, "I was mad at her too… but I kind of feel like you, I think. Sango, why do you think she didn't come back?"

Sango had asked herself that question several times before and dark possibilities regarding her friend's fate crossed her mind, but she decided to be optimistic, and that's how she answered. "I think she found something very good in her world, something that made her very happy and she wanted to stay. Maybe she intended to come, but she must be really busy. She told me once that in her world, everybody is always busy."

Shippo heard her carefully and nodded, as if Sango's words were sensible enough, then he asked, "do you think that maybe the well sealed itself after the Shikon no Tama disappeared, like it happened from this side, and that's why she couldn't return?"

"I considered it, and even talked about it with Inuyasha but he told me he had been able to cross one more time, even after the Tama was gone, so I guess that was not the reason. Inuyasha thinks that he's the one affected by that problem."

"Ah."

Shippo kept quiet and Sango supposed he had finished with his questions, so she rolled on her side, facing the wall. It would be a long, sleepless night for her. Involuntarily, her thoughts drifted to Inuyasha and she wondered what he was doing.

_Probably sitting on the very spot I left him, that idiot_, she thought bitterly.

"Sometimes, I also dreamed of that chocolate she promised me," Shippo voiced his last comment before falling asleep.

* * *


	13. The power over him

Chapter thirteen: The power over him

A heavy rain was their constant companion on the trip back home, so Shippo gave a happy yell when he saw the familiar path that would take them to their dry, warm huts.

"Sango, I'll race you to the village!" he shouted and securing his straw hat with his hand, he started running down the road and disappeared behind a curtain of water, Kirara ran playfully after him but Sango didn't follow; she was tired and had little energy to race against a pair of youkai, not that she held any hopes of catching up with them any way.

She kept her stroll as her zori sank into the muddy puddles but stopped at the familiar bifurcation on the road. Sango stared for a moment to the pathway that leaded to the bone eater's well as the last year's images came back to her memory. Was it possible that he was at…? No, no way. She knew Inuyasha was obstinate but even he wouldn't be outside with such terrible weather, so, with that conclusion, she resumed her walk and soon arrived to her hut.

"Sango, you finally returned. You must help me!"

She had barely had time to lower her furoshiki and weapons when Kaede appeared at her threshold. There was an anxious scowl on her old features and her clothes were soaked wet. Had she been outside in the rain?

"What is it, Kaede-baachan?" she asked, an ill feeling starting to form in her stomach's pit.

"It's Inuyasha." The old woman didn't make any attempt to enter the hut, rather keeping the drape open, as if waiting for Sango to come out instead.

"What's wrong?" she asked apprehensively, her posture stiffened.

"Come with me," Kaede responded and Sango, putting her straw hat on again, followed her.

"Where is he?" she asked as they marched outside the village, but the miko didn't have to answer. Sango figured it out when they took the well's pathway.

Incredulity, a feeling of deception, but mostly anger surged within her at the realization, but all of that faded away when she spotted his unconscious figure, his head laying on the wooden edge, his black hair stuck to his face.

"Inuyasha!" She ran to him and brushed his wet hair away from his eyes but she looked at Kaede, alarmed, when she felt the skin beneath her fingers. She could hear him mumbling incoherencies in a very low, rasp voice.

"Kaede-baachan, he's running a fever! He's very hot!" Sango tried to grab him by his arm but he had his hand inside his haori and even in his febrile state, he resisted her attempts.

"I know," answered Kaede as she approached them and touched his forehead, confirming Sango's words.

"What do you mean you know? Why's he here then? Why haven't you got him inside?" Sango felt her anger and frustration coming back, all of this worsened by Inuyasha's resistance to get his hand out of his damned clothes. What on earth was he clutching in there?

"He has barely moved from this place in the past two weeks, and he hardly ate, he didn't matter about the rain or anything. I did try to take him inside but he wouldn't listen. Not even the villagers I asked for help were able to remove him from here. He menaced them with Tessaiga and he would reject the quilts I brought him. I could do naught but wait for you."

Sango finally managed to pull his arm and she saw how it came out with a red yarn that was tied to his neck, meanwhile the rain kept falling and thunders crossed the sky with fury.

Intrigued, she opened his hand and discovered there a small rounded object. A closer examination revealed it to be a wooden bead.

One of the beads that belonged to that nenjo Kagome utilized to sit him.

"You fool…" she whispered and clutched the bead in her own hand, then she stood up and yanked it off his neck. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes, narrowed.

"YOU FOOL!" she screamed, rage pounding in her chest, and threw the bead as far as her arm allowed her. The small sphere disappeared between the far trees.

She turned to Inuyasha and passed his arm over her shoulders, then she tried to raise him up, but he, delirious, refused to be carried, grabbing onto the well's edge.

"No, no… I'll… I'll wait… Kag…" His mumbles became stronger and more frantic.

"For Kami's sake, Inuyasha! Stop this now!" She used all of her strength and managed to get him up, but he pushed her away, making her lose her balance and they both fell to the ground, mud spattering all over them. Kaede observed them with apprehension, wanting to help, but nowadays she hardly supported her own weight. Besides, she knew this was something only Sango could do.

"Idiot!" The young woman knelt and took the fallen man by his haori, shaking him hard, but he was unfazed. Sango, desperate, delivered a blow to his face. His cheek turned a light shade of pink.

"Get up! Fight Inuyasha! Let me help you, damn it!"

He managed to open his eyes slightly, a light of recognition passed over his features.

"Do you want to die? That's what you want? It isn't worth it! I know you're better than this! Now get up!" One more time, Sango put his arm over her shoulder and lifted him up with her. This time she felt him applying force to his legs in order to stand up.

"That's it! That's it, Inuyasha-kun!"

"Come on, we have to act quickly!" Kaede lead the way until they reached her hut. Sango had practically carried Inuyasha all the way and her legs wobbled as she lowered him to the futon, but she wouldn't have stopped even if she had fallen ten times and her knees had split. She had felt the fever radiating from him even through the rain. Was he so ill? What if he… what if he really died?

"I need you to assist me." Kaede's severe voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Take off his hakama," the old woman ordered while she was removing the haori from Inuyasha's trembling body.

"W-what?" Her eyes widened.

"This is no time for modesty, child. Come on!"

Sango felt her face burning. She was sure she was blushing madly, but she nodded and did as told.

Inuyasha kept babbling and tossing in his delirium and Sango bit her lower lip every time a painful moan left his quivering lips, instead she concentrated hard in applying cool compresses, pounding dried herbs, boiling water and whatever Kaede asked her to do, but when his moans transformed into Kagome's name once and again, her will broke. The walls suffocated her and she couldn't breath, there was something in her throat that wouldn't let her draw enough air. She had to get out of there. She just had to!

Suddenly she found herself standing outside the hut; her salty tears getting mixed with the raindrops hitting her face. She was breathing in fast, shallow gasps, as if trying to recover from a stab in the gut.

That asshole! Why was he doing this to himself? What did Kagome possess that made her so unforgettable for him? And why the hell didn't she just come back and end this stupid situation? Why didn't she just come and take that idiot away and leave her alone?

Sango let her knees fall on the dirt and took her hands to her face, sobbing uncontrollably. In that moment she hated him, she hated _her_, she hated both of them! But even those thoughts were erased when that unexplainable, piercing pain digging in her heart became so unbearable that it overthrew any other notion, bending her over until her head rested on her legs and her cries rocked her body.

"Sango! Bring more water!" An imperative voice obliged her to raise her head. She looked at the hut through the curtain of her deep brown hair. She really didn't want to go back in there, she wanted to run, she wanted to mount on Kirara and vanish, but she couldn't. Inuyasha needed her, even if he didn't appreciate her efforts.

"I—I'm coming Kaede-baachan," she half screamed, half whimpered.

The girl bit her bent finger until physical pain replaced the one in her chest and then, cleaned her face. She breathed as deep as she could and mustering all her self-discipline, stood up, firm, proud, like a taijiya should always be.

Yet, she felt her heart drop when she entered the hut again.

* * *

Sango had to shield her eyes from the sunlight that, for a moment, invaded the dark room, but when the drape was lowered again she discovered Kaede standing in front of her, a hot, steaming bowl of soup was stretched toward her.

"Eat this before it gets cold," the old lady offered. Sango, thankful, took the bowl and hashi from her and started eating with eagerness.

Kaede knelt next to Sango and examined the eyes of the man lying on the futon. He still was chanting a chain of nonsense and shivering uncontrollably, despite the multiple quilts thrown over his body and the hearth at the center of the hut.

"How is he?" asked a tired voice and Kaede turned to see the girl next to her; there were deep purple rings around her opaque eyes.

"Umm… It's hard to say, the fever hasn't receded. Have you been changing the compresses for cool ones as I told you?"

"Yes, as often as possible, and I gave him the infusion you prepared. What else can we do? Why isn't he reacting?" she asked with a puckered brow, leaving her bowl aside. Her worry displaced her hunger.

"It's too soon to say but I assure you I'm doing everything within my power to take him out of this state. All we can do is keep watching over him and wait. Now go ahead, eat your soup."

Sango grabbed the bowl again, keeping it tightly between her hands. She found the vegetables floating in the soup strangely hypnotizing, with their slow, circling motions blurring behind the vapor.

"Kaede-baachan… Is he going to die?" She searched the older eyes, hopeful and fearful at the same time.

"If the fever doesn't cease soon I… I don't know, but let's not think about that. He is strong, he can survive this."

"He's not strong." Sango looked away. The bitter tone in her voice surprised the miko.

"Why do you say that?" Kaede placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Just… just look at what he's doing to himself… He permitted himself to crumble down over… over _her_, and she's not even here anymore." She bit her lower lip and turned her head away.

"Everyone falls, Sango-chan, and we tend to fall more than once, but don't shut him out, he can get up again, and he will. Now this is the last time I'll tell you this, eat your soup and then go and rest a little, you haven't slept at all, I don't want you to fall ill as well."

"I'd rather stay. I'm fine."

_What had Kaede meant with shutting him out?_ She pondered.

"No, you're not fine, you are exhausted and that will do no good to anyone. I don't want to take care of another sick person. Moreover, you are getting in my way, child. I can't take care of Inuyasha with you going red in the face every time I have to remove the quilts from him." And indeed, Sango blushed profusely at the sole mention of it.

"But… but what if you need help?" she tried to argue.

"Then I'll call Shippo-chan, I sent him to pick some more herbs for the young man here, now that rain has stopped for a while. He should be here very soon."

"Are you sure?"

Kaede took a deep breath and grabbed Sango by the ear, picking her up the floor. "Don't make me lose my patience child, now go, go, I said it was okay."

"Ow! Alright, I'll go!" Sango stood up a little resentful and looked from Kaede to Inuyasha.

"You'll call me if anything happens, right? I'll be in my hut."

"I will."

"Well… I'll go then." She headed to the entrance.

"Sango?" Kaede's voice made her turn around.

"Yes?" she asked apprehensively.

"You forgot your soup."

* * *

A/N: This chapter was difficult to write, exploring such emotions was interesting and challenging there's no saying of how much I'll apreciate feedback. Thanks. 


	14. Burdens

Chapter fourteen: Burdens 

He moaned as a sharp sting went through his skull and he took a hand to his temples, massaging the tender points.

Did he have to open his eyes? He really didn't want to; he felt so tired, and sore... Inuyasha produced another moan and it made his throat feel like he had swallowed a hot coal.

What had happened? Why did he feel that way? Suddenly more for an instinct than anything else, he reached for the yarn around his neck and found nothing but his own bare chest. The bead was gone.

Inuyasha opened his eyes, alarmed, and looked down. Effectively, the red yarn that he hadn't taken off in two whole years was missing. His heart started beating faster and a wave of subtle fear crept up his stomach, but then, he relaxed; the bead was gone, the bead was gone.

The bead was gone.

He experienced anxiety, true, but he also felt something else, some kind of acceptance and also, it was like if a heavy burden had been removed. Was it… relief? He couldn't truly explain it. He didn't feel like he wanted to explain it.

Then, for the first time he looked around. He was in Kaede's hut, he could tell. Outside, the sunlight illuminated the ambience and resting at his side, with her head nested in her arms and her back against the wall, was a girl.

For the slightest moment, he believed to see long, black hair and he remembered watching repetitively a pair of chocolate eyes looming over him through his hazy, senseless dreams and in those dim recollections, he had believed them to belong to Kagome.

Then it all came back to him; the vision of Kagome, Sango's departure, the long wait next to the well and the rain starting to fall. He recalled saying to himself, _what the hell, it's nothing but some water, my firerat suit will do. She's coming, just wait a little longer, just a little._

Kami. He was so stupid. She wouldn't come. She was not going to return, was she? And it hadn't been her eyes, she had never returned. It had been Sango's eyes and she was still there, asleep in evident exhaustion. Had she been taking care of him? Had he fallen sick? It appeared to be that way.

He experienced a strange mixture of gratefulness, tenderness and remorse toward her. He also remembered the last, stern look she had thrown at him when he had decided to stay rather than keep his promise and accompany her on her trip.

But he couldn't go, he had to wait for… he had to… he… All of a sudden, his excuse didn't sound as strong or reasonable as it had sounded before. Was she still mad at him?

Sango stirred in her sleep and moved her head so it could fit better between her arms. Inuyasha remembered that morning under the maple tree. It seemed like yesterday.

After observing her for some moments, he outstretched his hand -it felt heavy and weak- and touched her arm. Sango's deep brown eyes appeared under her eyelids and then, they snapped open with surprise.

"I—Inuyasha?" Her voice sounded unsure and small. She then passed a hand over her tired eyes, as if trying to disperse the fog of her slumber and approached him, her mouth open.

"Are you…? How do you…. oh Kami! Kaede-baachan!" she screamed, then she touched his forehead and a grin exploded on her face.

"Your fever's gone! Oh thanks, Kami-Sama! How do you feel? Can you speak?" She was combing his messy hair behind his ears as she asked all those questions in less than five seconds, he reckoned.

"I'm… I'm fine, my throat hurts, and my head too…"

"Don't speak then, that's okay, just rest," she said and looked at him straight in the eyes, hers seemed to be glassy. "For a moment I thought you were going to leave… me…" she whispered and lowered her gaze.

"Inuyasha, boy, are you really awake? Praise the gods! I was starting to fear you would abandon us after all!" Kaede entered her hut and checked on Inuyasha, looking at his tongue, his eyes, the color of his skin and nodding and smiling while she concluded her examination. Inuyasha really didn't like all that fussing around him, but he didn't possess the strength in that moment, to prevent it from happening.

"You look well, your throat is swollen and you still need to rest for a few more days, but I think you are out of danger now," Kaede declared and Sango clapped her hands with relief.

"Now, what you did was totally stupid, you know, Inuyasha?" Kaede moved her head reproachfully.

_Of course, here comes the whining_, he thought.

"You should know that you were delirious for almost a week, and you could have died, you _would_ have if not for Sango here. She brought you in when nobody had achieved it and hasn't separated from your side but a few times." Kaede patted the younger woman on the shoulder. Sango went red and again, lowered her eyes with demure.

Inuyasha looked at her and the familiar, warm feeling he often experienced around her returned. "I… I'm sorry… Thank you, Sango."

What? No 'Keh'? He surprised himself, but after some time, he found out saying 'sorry' and 'thanks' wasn't that hard anymore, especially with her. He also found difficult to stop looking into her eyes, the eyes that wouldn't abandon him on his delusions; the eyes of the person who had been there for him.

"Oh… It was nothing. You're my friend, you would have done the same," she answered.

"Yes… I would have…" He stared at her and she let him do it by keeping her eyes fixed on her fidgeting fingers.

A quiet moment followed his statement until Kaede cleared her throat. "Well, I better go and get you some light clothes, so you can be fresher than with all those quilts."

"But I only have my firerat suit," he said.

"I… I made you a kobakama and a juban sometime ago, if you want I can bring them." Sango interceded, her fingers fidgeting even more.

"Huh? Really?"

"Y-yeah, but I thought you wouldn't want them, you never use anything else than your firerat suit, so…"

"And… my suit is okay?" Inuyasha asked a little apprehensive. A shadow of disappointment clouded Sango's eyes.

"It's dry and clean," Kaede intervened.

"Ok…" He seemed relieved. "Well, are you going to keep me naked forever or what? Bring those clothes you made already!"

"Oy, Inuyasha, you just woke up and you're already being rude!" Sango retorted.

"Keh!"

She narrowed her eyes and stood up with her chin high, then she went to retrieve the clothes, but it was undeniable that her smile brightened her whole face.

* * *

-Kobakama: They are like a hakama, but shorter and narrower.

- Juban: Is a small, waist-length kimono, let's say, like a shirt.


	15. How it came to be

Chapter fifteen: How it came to be

Those 'few more days' of rest turned out to be almost two whole weeks of forced convalescence and Inuyasha didn't lose the opportunity to tell Kaede that as soon as he got out of that damned futon, he wouldn't sleep again in at least a month.

Of course, Inuyasha, being him, would have been up a long time ago, _if_ he could, but the sickness that had assaulted him weakened his body and made him dizzy, besides, his throat's irritation contributed to his bad temper and not even Shippo, who had been teasing him non-stop (in order to cheer him up, he had assured with a grin) dared to annoy him any further. A sick, grouchy _and_ bored Inuyasha wasn't something nice to be around.

But he was especially angry at Sango. He knew he shouldn't be, he knew she had been constantly taking care of him during the worst of his… state (he had trouble admitting he had finally gotten sick) but still, he couldn't believe she had barely showed up after that.

Perhaps she was still resentful about the journey issue, or it could be that he somehow annoyed her when he had asked her if she knew what happened to a certain red yarn he had around his neck. He didn't know, but certainly two could play that game and if she was going to behave all indifferent and slighted, then so could he. Yep. He would turn his nose up the next time she decided he was worth a visit.

At least that was the plan.

But when she appeared that afternoon at the entry of his hut, he couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from going upwards, even a little, but he was pretty sure she didn't notice it. Yes, sure.

"Keh! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how you were doing. Shippo told me you're feeling much better." She knelt in front of him and eyed him curiously, as if she were deciding if he was healthy enough. He could also tell she discreetly eyed the green haori he was wearing, the one she had confectioned for him.

"For your information, that old hag finally let it go and I've been up since yesterday and yes, I feel better than ever. Any way you wouldn't have to ask if you had stopped by once in a while. Hah! I thought friends were supposed to do that kind of shit! And stop staring at me like that!"

"I'm very happy you're your old self, I guess you really feel well if you can yell like that." Sango smiled at him and reaching for his head and patting him. Inuyasha was speechless for a few seconds.

"Wha--? Don't pat me like a dog!" He scowled at her with indignity but it only achieved him another smile.

"So, you can come out then?"

"Eh… yeah. Why?"

Her face darkened as she folded her hands over her lap, looking at him sternly.

"It will keep raining," she commented quietly, lowering her eyes.

"So what."

"I… I don't want you to fall ill again."

Inuyasha sighed with impatience. "What are you babbling about, Sango?"

"I did something and I hope you won't be upset about it," she said and ventured a glance at his face; he had his eyebrow lifted in confusion.

"What is it?" he said, cautious.

"I guess it will be better if you see it by yourself." With no further words, she rose up and exited the hut. Inuyasha followed, apprehensive and curious at the same time. What could she possibly have done? They started walking outside the village and Inuyasha hesitated when Sango took the path to the well, but followed her anyway. He sure hoped she wasn't planning on giving him some stupid reprimand or moralistic lesson, but then Sango's feet stopped and so did Inuyasha's heart when he looked over her shoulder.

He took a step further and contemplated, agape, what 'she had done'. What was this? Some kind of joke? He fell to his knees, contemplating the vision in front of him; he didn't know what to say, or think, so he did none.

"Inuyasha… Are you okay? I… I'm sorry… It's just that… if you were going to keep guarding this place, then… at least I wanted you to be protected from the rain… please don't get angry at me, If you wish, I can bring it down." Her tone was anxious and apologetic, though he could perceive she spoke with sadness, as if she had acquiesced something, as if that something were not going to change.

He stood up and approached, opening the doors. It was the same in every aspect, except that the wood was unspoiled and it still smelt like fresh pine. Maybe Sango didn't pretend to give him a lesson, but unwillingly, she had slapped him in the face. Kami. He must have looked pathetic lying there.

"No. Don't do that," he said at last.

"W-- what?"

"How did you do this?" he murmured, not turning his eyes to her.

"I asked for help from the villagers and, well, a carpenter from a near village helped me. I exterminated some worms for him… this is why I didn't visit you for the past weeks. I'm sorry. I can really bring it down if it bothers you, Inuyasha."

The black haired man looked back at her.

"We can't bring it down, I guess it was supposed to be built, but I never thought it would be in my time, I never thought I'd see it again," he said and stared at the small structure again. Sango looked at him, confused. Inuyasha gave her an eerie, small smile.

"You must be asking yourself if the fever hasn't returned, huh? I'm acting this way because," he took a deep breath and looked to the gray sky. "When I traveled to Kagome's world, there used to be a small shrine that surrounded the well in her era and… and now that same shrine is surrounding the well here, in our time," he declared, and then studied her expression. Sango's eyes went wide.

"You… you mean…"

"Yes. It's the same."

So, the well's shrine that, according to Inuyasha, will be still present in Kagome's time, 500 years in the future, was her making? What to think about that? What did that represent? It was bizarre, it was confusing. Sango was sure she would have never erected that shrine if she hadn't known Kagome, and something told her, Kagome maybe wouldn't have traveled to their time if there hadn't been a shrine around the well.

She tried to tie the row of thoughts; then she had built the shrine so Kagome could know them? So _they_ could know Kagome? She shook her head, the sole idea made her mind feel foggy.

"Stop doing that." Inuyasha emitted a cold chuckle. "Don't try to understand it, we won't, it just _is_. I think this is how things were meant to be."

Since when had Inuyasha acquired some wisdom? She stared at him and then her eyes lowered to his neck. A guilty burden oppressed her stomach and she guessed it was a moment as good as any other, and the sooner, the better.

"I lost your bead."

He regarded her but said nothing, expecting for her to continue. She looked at the ground nervously. How did she explain to him that she threw the bead away applying to it the same force she used on Hiraikotsu? Or better said, how could she justify her actions? She supposed the truth was her best option.

"I felt… um… very upset when I found you here in such state and when I discovered the bead in your hand it made me feel even angrier so… I threw it into the woods. I couldn't find it again. I'm sorry."

He kept his eyes on her for some seconds, making her body stiffen, but at last he sighed deeply and walked toward her. Inuyasha placed a hand over her shoulder and in a moment, Sango found herself between his arms. His nose touched her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"Thank you," he whispered and then, let go of her.

"F… for what?" she asked. The shrine? The bead? But Inuyasha just shrugged his shoulders and started walking away.

Sango frowned in puzzlement but decided against filling her head with more ideas, so she sat in front of the shrine and contemplated it. She wondered how it would look in 500 years. Will Kagome play around it when she starts walking? Will she play 'hide and seek' with her brother there, as she had taught her and the others to play?

* * *


	16. Old and scarred

Chapter sixteen: Old and scarred

"Thank you Kaede-baaahp—" Quickly, Shippo covered his mouth with his hands as a high pitched note left his lips and a shade of red crept up his face.

"Sorry…" he murmured, mortified, but in exchange, a taunting chuckle reached his pointy ears and his blush changed to an angered gesture and narrowed eyes.

"Don't laugh at me…" The kitsune threatened in a low voice, maybe to sound more menacing, or maybe just to avoid another embarrassing note from his, nowadays, treacherous vocal cords.

"It's not my fault you sound so ridiculous!" Inuyasha laughed again, leaving the half chewed rice in his mouth exposed.

"Inuyasha…" But another low, and very menacing voice made him close his mouth and straighten his back.

"No one knows how to enjoy a little joke around here," he murmured as he looked, resentful, toward Sango, who wouldn't withdraw her warning look.

"Young man," Kaede interceded. "Your jokes are of a terrible taste. Shippo's voice is changing and that's natural, he's growing, and making fun of him is not nice at all."

"Keh!"

"You heard Kaede-baachan, Inuyasha, stop mocking me or you'll see!" Shippo stood up, his hand in a fist, the bowl of rice in the other. The young youkai was now much taller and in little time, Inuyasha's human strength wouldn't rival with his.

"Really? And what are you gonna do?" Inuyasha snickered and with a fast move, stole one of Shippo's fish that was resting by the hearth. Shippo growled, Kaede sighed and Inuyasha suddenly received a hard blow on the top of his head.

"Can't we eat in peace just for once? Inuyasha, give back Shippo his fish now, and _you_ Shippo, sit. Now." They did as told with a pucker and Sango put a hand to her forehead, pretending to cover a throbbing headache, but she smiled a little. In fact, she was more than used to this behavior and it comforted her; that's how they were, how they acted around each other.

Another laugh broke into the hut but this one was warm. Kaede moved her head, the smile wouldn't leave her wrinkled face. "Seems like you have two children to take care of, eh, Sango? What a way to practice for the day you become a mother."

The secret smile left Sango's lips at once and her features hardened in a second. Kaede frowned and spoke with worry. "Are you all right? Have I said something wrong?"

"No… It's just that I'm not hungry anymore. Excuse me." She stood up and left the hut. Shippo raised a hand with five fingers up so only Kaede could see and he started lowering one by one. By the time the last finger had lowered, Inuyasha had already left the hut.

"Ha! I knew that was gonna happen," he said with a triumphant grin that made Kaede smile. Shippo went to Inuyasha's bowl and started eating his portion as he talked between mouthfuls. "This guy's got, like, a karma or something, don't you think Kaede-baachan?"

"Why do you say so, Shippo-chan?"

"Kaede-baachan… It's Shippo-kun," he corrected. "And I mean, the story is repeating itself, he's in love but he won't face it! He's too thickheaded."

"Sango seems oblivious to her own emotions as well, don't you think? But don't worry, you'll see how eventually they'll figure it out."

"I sure hope so, or they'll end up missing it."

"We hope not. So, do you want to go with me for a stroll after we eat? They day is lovely."

Shippo glanced at the entrance and his face became sullen.

"No… I'll stay here, maybe at night, alright?"

"If you wish, Shippo-kun." Kaede knew perfectly well what was upsetting her young ward, but she decided against commenting it at the time.

* * *

"Hey Sango, wait up!" Inuyasha caught up with her but she kept her head lowered and her arms around herself.

"What the hell got into you? Why did you leave like that?" He tried to have a look at her face, which Sango obliged to, giving him a small, reassuring smile. Not long ago, Inuyasha would have rather faced a thousand youkai than dealing with anyone's emotions.

"It's nothing." She tried to broaden her smile but failed, instead her eyes fixed into space.

"Come on, don't give me that shit, you know you'll tell me anyway so why to lose time with all that 'it's nothing' crap?"

She stopped her stroll and started playing, nervously, with her hair. "I… it's just that… I… I don't think Kaede-baachan's right."

Inuyasha recalled the miko's words and frowned. "About you being a mother?"

"Yes… that."

"Don't you… uh… don't you want to be one?" he asked hesitantly. He didn't know why but all the sudden he became very apprehensive.

Sango chuckled in a somewhat bitter tone. "I'm scarred, Inuyasha, and I'm 21 years old. Who would want me like _that_? It's not that I don't want a family, it's just that I don't think I'll ever have the chance to have one! And I'm too old to marry!" Her voice trembled as she looked down, embarrassed at her outburst. He could see her eyes starting to water.

Sango was startled when she felt a tender touch on her cheek as Inuyasha pushed some hair strands from her face.

"Stop talking nonsense, I think any man would be lucky to have you as a wife." His hand rested on her shoulder, one finger absently caressing the side of her neck.

"Y—you mean it?" She buried her eyes into his, as if expecting to find solace in the sincerity she would find there.

"I… yes, I do." He could feel his face going red and, suddenly, aware of his actions, he removed his hand quickly and diverted his gaze.

Sango gave a step closer to him and, standing on her tiptoes, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek. Inuyasha resisted the urge to take a hand to his face.

"Thank you for your kind words, I don't think you're right, but I appreciate them any way," she said and started to walk away, but he caught her hand and she couldn't go further.

"Wait! I'm not lying! I really mean it, Sango, You… you're…" Sango searched into his face as his features morphed in gestures she had never seen him do, she could see in his gaze he was troubled. However, Inuyasha never got to say what Sango was as a yell reached their ears.

"Inuyasha-san! Sango-san! Help!" A young boy, Hiro-chan, they recognized, came running toward them with a terrified look upon his face. He hung to Inuyasha's hand and started pulling him from his white haori. "There are youkai in the village! Just outside Hideoshi-san's field!" he said with a fearful look.

At once, they tensed up and Sango ran to her hut to retrieve her weapons. Inuyasha followed her not before telling the boy to run and hide, that they would take care of everything.

Just some minutes later, they arrived to the place Hiro had indicated. All the inhabitants had fled, but there were no signs of youkai near, at least not any visible ones, but Sango, as well as Inuyasha, could feel the demonic aura surrounding the area.

"They're more than one, be careful," he whispered as Tessaiga was freed from its saya.

"Yes, I can feel them too."

Then, just a second early, they jumped in opposite directions as a burst of blue fire exploded right where they had been standing up.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango threw her weapon to the place where the flame had come from, but it only found air to rip. Then, a second flame was launched from behind and she barely had time to jump out of the way. Inuyasha ran to the bushes where the attacks seemed to be coming from and delivered a blow to their attacker, but his katana produced a metallic sound when it crashed against solid rock, a rock that had a mocking face carved on it.

Then, the rock grinned.

"What the—?"

His sentence was cut off when the rock disappeared behind a cloud of smoke and a pink, big balloon appeared in its place and it started gaining height. Where had he seen that before? What the hell, he was about to pop that stupid balloon and that youkai would learn better than to make fun of him. He raised Tessaiga over his head.

"Wait! Inuyasha! Don't attack them!"

An unexpected weight prevented him from lowering the katana and made him fall on his butt instead. Snickers and laughs surrounded him.

"Oy! Shippo! What the fuck are you doing!"

Sango had been surprised for Shippo's behavior, but then she observed how the pink balloon took a more human form, a human form with bright orange hair and bushy tail. Other three individuals with the same characters appeared from behind bushes and trees. Realization stuck her.

"Inuyasha, look, they're kitsune!" she pointed.

"Huh?"

"That's what I wanted to tell you!" Shippo yelled as he stood up.

One of the youkai approached them, a curious look in his face. He studied Sango, then Inuyasha, who had stood up as well and wouldn't lower Tessaiga, and then his eyes rested on…

"Shippo? Is that you?" he said, surprised. The others, two females and a male, approached as well, not taking their bright eyes from Shippo.

Shippo rose from the ground and, curious, got closer. "Yes… How do you know my name? Do I know you?"

"Ah! It's Shippo-chan!" One of the females screamed and ran toward Shippo, who, in a second, found himself caught between hugs and kisses. Inuyasha was about to jump between them, not sure if it was an attack or a show of affection, but Sango stopped him, not sensing any threat.

"Look how much you've grown! Where have you been all this time? You're so handsome now!"

"Karumi, let him breathe!" The other male ruffled Shippo's head, "He surely doesn't remember us."

"You remember us, don't you, Shippo?" The youngest female, who was about his age, got closer and looked at him with a reassuring smile. "Because I do remember you."

Shippo, whose bewilderment reflected on his face, only managed to move negatively his head, mouth-opened.

"Of course he doesn't remember us, he was only four the last time he saw us," said the kitsune who had first recognized Shippo. He appeared to be the oldest. He then turned to Shippo and smiled, pointing his finger to his face.

"I'm Shigoru, this is my wife Karumi, my brother Hideki and my daughter Kagami. We've been looking for you for a long time but we were starting to fear that you had died. And just imagine, we've found you by mere luck!"

Shippo nodded politely to each one but still he didn't understand how they knew about him. It must have showed on his face because immediately, Shigoru added, "I'm your father's cousin. We're your family."

* * *

- In Japan, when someone points at oneself, it's done to the face instead of the chest. 


	17. The destiny of Youkai

Chapter seventeen: The destiny of youkai

Once again, Kaede found her small hut crowded as seven people gathered around a steaming tea pot. She served another cup and passed it around.

"Hah Hah, we were only having some fun with those ningen. We weren't going to hurt them or anything!" said Hideki, he had a bright, bubbling laughter that cheered whoever listened to it.

"It was nothing but an inoffensive joke, really, though we didn't know there were exterminators in this village, but it would have been really fun to play with you a little," Karumi said in a jovial tone. It seemed mischievous behavior was a common characteristic in all kitsune.

"What are you saying? We could have hurt you!" Inuyasha said but their guest laughed some more at this.

"Do you really think you could have defeated four kitsune together? Your head's a little big, don't you think Inuyasha-san?" Shigoru snickered.

"You never know…" Inuyasha retorted.

"We thought we wouldn't find you again, Shippo," Kagami spoke. "After word spread that the thunder brothers had killed your father, we feared they had harmed you as well, but I always believed you were alive."

Shippo who couldn't help becoming mute every time he saw Kagami's pretty face, nodded and lowered his eyes to his tea.

"So, how did you, good ningen, come to find our dear Shippo?"

Inuyasha growled at Karumi. Did they have to use the word 'ningen' so often? It's not that it was such a big deal for him any more, but once, Inuyasha could have finished them all with a single slash from Tessaiga and their early 'little joke' would have turned way nastier.

"It was Inuyasha. He and Kagome found him after his father was killed, and he avenged his death as well," answered Kaede as she finally kneeled next to Sango.

"Is that so?" Karumi asked as she eyed Inuyasha, as if she found hard to believe that he had accomplished such a deed.

"Yes! That's so." Inuyasha answered, daring her to express her incredulity.

"Then we owe you, Inuyasha, and this Kagome as well. Who is she by the way?" Hideki asked.

For a moment, Sango wondered what would Inuyasha answer, _She's the reincarnation of my first true love? She's the love of my life? She's a girl from the future that set me free from the Goshinboku and then abandoned me?_

"She's a miko, but she's not around here anymore… It's a long story," he said dryly.

_Well, that was a much better answer,_ Sango thought.

"Shippo-kun, you've been very quiet, don't you have anything to say?" Kaede asked.

Shippo looked at the new faces around him and spoke with a sheepish smile, "It feels strange… I thought I didn't have any family left. So I guess I'm happy."

"You guess?" asked Kagami.

"Eh… yeah, I mean, I thought I wouldn't find another kitsune again… as I said, it feels strange."

"And soon that will be true, in no time you won't be able to find any kitsune or any other youkai," Karumi declared.

Sango arched an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"

Karumi looked at her with a puzzled expression, as if the answer were obvious. "You guys exterminate youkai for a living, right?"

"Just the evil ones," Sango cleared, diplomatically.

"Yeah, whatever, well, what have you exterminated recently?"

"Well," Inuyasha counted with his fingers. "Some worms, a couple of weasels, three bears, a giant crab, more worms I think…"

"Anyone with human form?" asked Shigoru.

"Not really since… since…" Inuyasha turned to Sango to ask for assistance. Sango's tilted her head trying to recall one, but it was fruitless.

"It's true, we haven't seen any high youkai but you, not even Sesshoumaru or Koga…" she reflected and wondered what had been of that little girl that used to tag along him.

"Why's that uncle Shigoru? Where are they all?"

"We're leaving this world, Shippo."

"What? Why?" Sango asked.

"Youkai time is over, this realm is no longer fit for us. Ningen are changing, they're becoming feistier and more war thirsty. We've realized they'll end up making this a world impossible for our kind to live in. Only the mindless, lesser youkai, incapable of understanding what's going on, or perhaps some exceptions, will remain here, but we won't stay to suffer their destiny."

"And where are you going?" Shippo asked with anxiety. He just had found them, he didn't want them to leave.

"There are other realms beyond this, realms that ningen will never be able to reach, and when the Shikon no Tama was finally gone…"

"You know about the Tama?" asked Sango, surprised.

"Almost every youkai did, and we all felt its dismissal, though we don't know how it happened. So, as I was saying, when it was gone, its dissipated energy created a portal to another dimension where, before, only the highest, most powerful of our kind had access to, and that's where we're heading. My family and I decided to stay a bit longer than the others because we had the hope to find you, Shippo, and now that you're here, we can all go."

"What? You want to take Shippo with you? But… but you can't!" Sango said, bewildered. Shippo opened his mouth, but closed it again. Inuyasha just crossed his arms and Kaede put a hand under her chin.

"Sango-san, you have to understand that he can't stay here. What would become of him in a world where he doesn't belong? Where there's no one else like him?"

Inuyasha flinched at those words. He knew exactly how Shippo would feel, and he wouldn't want that for him. The kid was already suffering the consequences of being different. Inuyasha felt so shaken that he even forgot to brag about how it was him who finally put an end to the tama powers, making his ultimate sacrifice by asking for a pure wish; becoming human in order to save another person. Kagome.

"He would not be alone! We love him! We've been taking care of him, right Shippo?" retorted Sango.

"I… Y-yes… b--"

"But for how long? You'll only live for a few decades and then he'll be alone for centuries! He doesn't belong with you, he's not a human cub and you won't know how to raise him now that hard times are coming for him. Soon, he will experience his first transformation into his full youkai form, and you won't know how to help him or control him. He could even kill one of you or the whole village accidentally and then what would happen?" Karumi explained. Shippo's eyes widened in fear and a grasp left his lips.

Sango went cold at her words and looked at the young kitsune who was wearing the clothes that she had made with so much love. She was a taijiya, she knew very well about first transformations, but Shippo would never hurt them. It was impossible.

"No… no, he wouldn't… I know he wouldn't."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Kagami said with a hard gaze, as if she herself had already experienced it.

"But—"

"Sango, you can't decide over this. This is Shippo's choice alone," said Kaede and then she looked at Shippo, who kept his eyes lowered.

"So, Shippo, what do you decide? Will you come with us?" Shigoru asked, but Shippo just rubbed his hands together with nervousness.

"I... I…"

"Shippo? Will you stay?" Sango insisted.

"Come on! Give the poor kid a break! How can he make such a decision with all of you over his back? Just let him think for a while!" Inuyasha yelled. Shippo looked at him, grateful.

"I think Inuyasha's right, we have to let him ponder the situation and we all will have to accept it, whatever it turns to be," Kaede said and then she put her hand on Shippo's shoulder. "But no matter your decision, we'll always love you. Don't feel pressured."

He nodded, his eyes still lowered.

Shigoru sighed and shrugged his arms. "I'll tell you what to do, Shippo. We'll come back tomorrow at midday and wait for you near that clearing where there's that small shrine. If you don't show up, then we'll understand your decision, and we'll respect it, but I don't think you'll see us again."

"W-why?"

"The portal will not remain open forever, and eventually it will close. We don't know when, but we can't risk to be left behind."

"I… I understand, excuse me." Shippo raised and left the hut. No one saw him for the rest of that day.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay. This story is not being abandoned at all. Never. I will post a new one A.S.A.P.


	18. Shippo’s decision

Chapter eighteen: Shippo's decision

"Do you also want to go to that place, Kirara? If you wanted to, it'd be okay, I wouldn't stop you," Sango said unconvincingly, but the tiny neko sitting on her shoulder mewed and licked Sango's nose.

"I knew you wouldn't abandon me." She smiled and caressed Kirara's ear kindly.

Sango looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun. Midday was close and still there was no trace of Shippo in the meeting place. It gave her hopes, and that made her feel guilty because she knew she was being selfish. But for Kami, she didn't want to lose him.

"I knew you'd be here." A male voice interrupted her reverie, but she was glad to hear it, it gave her some kind of comfort.

"Hi, Inuyasha."

He stood by her side, his arms crossed as his eyes also checked the sun.

"It's almost time," he pointed out.

"I know."

"Don't do anything to stop him," he said in a neutral voice. "Don't make it harder on him than it already is."

"You speak as if you are sure he'll leave." She regarded him with an upset gesture. In that moment, Shigoru and his family appeared and stood opposite to them. Kirara jumped to the floor, alert, as if she knew her mistress wasn't too happy to see the four kitsune, which was right. Sango knew they were Shippo's relatives and that they didn't mean any harm, on the contrary. But still, Sango couldn't help feeling resentful toward them. Coming all the sudden and wanting to take him away from her… the nerve of them!

"Greetings," Shigoru addressed them. Sango bowed slightly but didn't make any attempt to converse; her mouth felt dry and her mind, numb.

"Nice weather," commented Hideki while his fox like foot tapped the ground nervously.

"Yeah." Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, his arms didn't leave his chest.

Karumi felt the sudden tension in the air and cleared her throat. "Inuyasha-san, Sango-san, we just want you to know how much we appreciate what you have done for my nephew," she said.

"It—it was nothing, it was a pleasure," responded Sango with sincerity.

Inuyasha took a step closer and asked with some anxiety, "Shigoru, there's something I've wanting to ask you."

"What is it, Inuyasha-_san_?" Shigoru made emphasis in the 'san', as if remarking how he talked respectfully to this bad-mannered ningen, and he wanted to be treated equally. Of course, Inuyasha didn't notice.

"I've been wondering, what will happen with all hanyou? Are they allowed to go to this other realm you're talking about?"

Shigoru looked at his wife, surprised by the question, and then he answered, a hand under his chin and his brow furrowed in thoughts. "Certainly they can reach this place, as long as they have youkai blood, but I don't think most will go. I doubt they could survive there, with so many who hate them and who would murder them without hesitation because of their human blood, but I know they aren't very welcome by ningen either… it's a difficult situation for them, there's no doubt. I wouldn't like to be in their places. Why do you want to know?"

"Just curious," he answered and said nothing more. Sango reached for him and stroked his back with the lightest touch.

The subsequent silence was awkward as they waited for the sun to be up in the sky. Sango's hopes went higher when the solar disc crowned at last the blue sky, and then, it started its way west.

"I guess Shippo made his choice," Shigoru gave a deep, sad breath. His family looked distressed. "If that's what he wants then please, tell him we love him and… well, take good care of him."

After those words, he and the others turned their backs and started walking. Sango could feel her face breaking in the biggest smile, but tried to conceal her happiness, and then, it all crumbled down…

"Uncle Shigoru…" A voice made them stop and Sango's heart dropped to her stomach.

_No, no Shippo, don't come, please, stay, stay_, she repeated like a mantra.

Shigoru turned to find Shippo there, with his furoshiki over his shoulders. The youkai smiled.

"Shippo…" Sango gave a step toward him but Inuyasha put his arm in front of her, preventing her from advancing further.

Shippo walked to Shigoru and said, "I decided to go with you."

A still moment fell upon them all at his words and then, smiles and cheers exploded among the kitsune. Sango wanted to share their happiness, she wanted to show she wasn't egoist, but she felt as if her chest had been ripped apart. Her knees trembled and for a moment she thought she was about to fall down, but Inuyasha took her by her shoulder. In the meantime the kitsune kept patting Shippo's back and ruffling his hair.

Anyway, Sango had to abandon the momentary support and disguise her weakness, because Shippo walked to them with a bowed head. She couldn't show him how much his decision had affected her. She couldn't do that to him.

"Sango, Inuyasha… Please, don't think I'm ungrateful… You have been like my family all this time, but… but uncle Shigoru is right… I can't stay. P-people fear me, even children who have grown up with me… they no longer come near me… nobody does but you. I already said good bye to Kaede-baachan and… and I'm sorry… I wish I could stay," he burst out, anxious. His hands squirmed nonstop and his eyes wouldn't meet anyone.

Inuyasha nodded and placed his hand over Shippo's head and he looked up, surprised. Inuyasha had never done that.

"I understand, believe me. Take care of yourself, squirt."

Shippo smiled, knowing it had been a caring word, for Inuyasha's standards. Then, he turned to Sango.

"You hate me. Don't you, Sango?" the shake in his voice betrayed him and his green eyes started to water while the corners of his mouth went downwards inevitably.

Sango hugged him as hard as she could and a single tear ran down her cheek. "No silly, I could never hate you. I love you!"

She let go of him and passed her sleeve over her eyes. He did the same. "Be good, alright? Don't forget me…"

"I won't, neither do you." He looked at the well's shrine. "If Kagome ever comes back, tell her I missed her a lot and that I'll always think of her."

"Oh, Shippo!" Again, Sango hugged him, then she combed his hair and looked at his face, as if trying to memorize that special twinkle that belonged to Shippo's mischievous eyes only.

"Do you have all your things? Your clothes?" she said.

"Yes."

"And are you taking your calligraphy? Remember you have to keep studying your kanji."

"I do."

"And remember crab makes you a little sick."

"Ok."

"And don't—" But Sango interrupted her advice as a hand touched her forearm. She turned to see Inuyasha looking at her with patient, but firm eyes.

_That's enough, let him go_. She understood perfectly his message and with a sigh, she hugged Shippo one last time and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

"Good bye, Inuyasha, Sango, thank you so much for everything."

"Good bye, Shippo," Inuyasha answered.

"Bye…" Sango's voice trembled a little, but she tried to smile.

Kirara, who had been observing, appeared to understand the situation and approached Shippo, passing her tails over his legs and mewing sadly when Shippo caressed her back affectionately.

"Farewell, Sango-san, Inuyasha-san," Shigoru bowed to them and waited for Shippo to catch up with them. When he did so, the all started walking down the pathway.

Shippo turned his head back and waved at Inuyasha and Sango over and over until he grew so small that they weren't able to tell if he kept turning, but Sango wanted to think he did.

"He'll be okay," Inuyasha said after they remained silent for some minutes, but he received no answer. He gazed at Sango, whose head was bowed, her hair obscured her face.

"Sango, it's better this way," he tried to reassure her, although he also felt an aching empty feeling in his stomach.

She just stayed there, but Inuyasha could clearly see how her shoulders started shaking with each quiet gasp that reached his ears. The hole ached even more at the sound of her muffled cries.

Inuyasha then did the only thing he could think of; he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her to his chest, where she buried her face and started sobbing uncontrollably. He just held her there as her tears soaked his white and blue juban and reached his skin.

"Shhh… it's alright," he soothed her, stroking her soft hair, waiting for her sobs to subside.

"Everyone leaves me," she whispered after a while, once she had stopped crying. Her head rested on his chest, her eyes astray, his arms still firm around her petite form.

"Father… Kohaku, my Houshi-Sama, Kagome and now… Shippo. I'll end up alone," she ended her sentence with a long, hopeless sigh.

"Hey, I'm still around. Ain't I?" he said in, what he hoped, was a reassuring tone.

"But for how long," she said. Not a question, not an affirmation.

Inuyasha tried to answer, but he found he didn't know what to say. In that moment he felt like he wouldn't let her go ever and that confused him. He didn't know what to do with himself when such feelings burst within him, because Kagome still lingered in his mind, even after the whole well thing and his sickness (he had finally admitted it). He knew he was stupid, he knew it, but he just couldn't help himself. How pathetic.

And anyway, Sango would never see him like that.

So, he only held her closer and resumed his strokes on her hair. For a moment he imagined there was no pain, no departures, no sorrow, nothing and no one but them. That he was hugging her and she was cuddling in his arms just because of it.

It felt nice, to pretend such thing, even if he knew it to be a lie.

* * *

A/N: I have been trying to upload this chapter even since last wednesday but for some unknown and bizarre reason, ff didn't allow me to, sending me an error message every time I tried. Ah well, the problem is gone now. Hope you liked it, let me know. Thanks for all your reviews. ;) 


	19. An opportunity for Hojo

Chapter nineteen: An opportunity for Hojo

**Tokyo. 2002 a.C.**

When she found out Hojo had entered the same med school than her, sincerely, Kagome thought that to be utterly pathetic.

Was his obsession for her so big that he was ready to give up his own career desires and aspirations only to be near her?

However, she soon found out Hojo wasn't exactly lost when he decided to be a doctor and actually, he was an excellent student. In fact, he shared the top class position with her. Kagome, of course, had drowned her sorrows in books, managing to get impressive marks in all of her subjects, but Hojo was a natural.

The normally quiet and pleasant boy, (well, not exactly a boy any more) had showed an incredible passion for what he called 'the art of healing'.

"You'll see, Higurashi," he had told her once. "When I finish school I'll have a clinic where we'll combine the most advance technology with traditional remedies, we'll offer the best therapies, just wait and see."

Kagome had remembered with fondness all those times Hojo had brought her all kinds of remedies to improve her supposedly terrible health, when she actually had been 500 years in the past hunting for tama shards and being attacked by youkai. She actually felt guilty for that.

"Higurashi, your yakimeshi is getting cold, aren't you hungry? Do you feel well?" A warm voice brought her back from her thoughts. Hojo was smiling at her from the other side of the table.

"Oh, no, not at all, I was just thinking."

"Really? May I ask about what?" He smiled, he always smiled.

_Maybe about why you brought me to this nice restaurant. Come on girl, you know the reason. The question is, what will you say?_

"Oh… nothing important, so tell me, what's the big news you have for me?"

"I've convinced my grandfather to donate us the land. Isn't it great?" he said with a proud air, his chin up and a radiant grin on his face.

"Oh, that's marvelous, Hojo!" She smiled sincerely and clapped her hands.

When regarding to that clinic of his, he always said things like 'we'll get a bank credit' and 'we'll just hire the most capable nurses' or 'we'll do this' and 'we'll do that.'

It didn't take long for Kagome to realize that for 'we', Hojo was referring to him and her. At first she had been livid at this. Who did he think he was to take her for granted? And those were the exact words she used when she protested his haughtiness if he thought she'd just work for him, leaving aside any goals she would have on her own, but Hojo had apologized first and then told her he wouldn't want her as any less than his associate, his partner, his equal.

She never felt Inuyasha considered her his equal; sometimes lesser, sometimes greater, but never his equal.

After a while, the idea of the alternative clinic started sounding good for her and it didn't take long for Kagome to become enthusiastic on the project. She could apply so many things Kaede-baachan taught her.

"Yes, I know, I'll never stop being grateful with my family for their generosity, and your family as well," Hojo answered.

She had talked to her family about the project and her mother, thrilled, had decided to support her financially. Not that they were exactly rich and they still had to think on Sota's education, but still it was a good amount. Also Ms. Higurashi talked to her recently found cousin, who had been more than pleased to help her niece with a generous sum.

Kagome felt somewhat apprehensive to take the money, but no doubt aunt Kimiko would have considered it disrespectful if she rejected her gift. So now, she and Hojo had a good base to go on with their little dream.

"We should make a toast, Higurashi, for our future!" he said brightly and raised his glass. When Kagome didn't do the same, he lowered it and looked at her, confused.

"What's the matter?" he asked her.

She wasn't sure how to aboard the subject, her fingers played with the napkin nervously. If they were to be associates and work together, then she would have to make things clear between them. Hojo could not keep on with that fixation for her or they wouldn't be capable to develop a healthy professional relationship.

"I have to speak about something with you, before we keep going with this plan," she said, not daring to look into his eyes. She really didn't want to hurt him, he was a very good friend.

"Ever since we met, I know you have felt something for me and—"

"Please, don't keep going," his firm voice interrupted her and Kagome looked up to find his eyes fixed on her with a resolute gesture.

"I know what you are going to say, please, don't."

"But I have to—"

"Please, Higuras—Kagome, allow me to speak first." Hojo had never called her by her first name. Maybe he didn't intend it, but it took her aback and it sure shut her mouth.

"I… I won't deny my feelings, and I," he chuckled, "I'm aware I was never very good at hiding them, right?"

Kagome said nothing but gave him a kind smile. He went on as his eyes rested somewhere between the soy sausage and the sashimi. "Back at high school I wasn't completely clueless, you know. I _knew_ there was someone else. I noticed it in your dreamy eyes and those sighs you suddenly gave out of nothing while your eyes got lost somewhere far, far away from school, as well in the sympathetic looks your friends gave me each time I gave you something for your health, you know, like _'poor guy, so crushed and he doesn't stand a chance'_, but I didn't care. I just wanted you to be aware that I was there, and that I cared deeply for you. Did I achieve that, at least?"

He returned his eyes to her and she nodded.

"Then we entered college and you changed, so much. Your smile was gone for a long time and you became a sad person, like if life had been drained from you. I wondered what could possibly have done that to you and I supposed you had broken up with that other guy, so my hopes went up again, but nothing happened."

"Hojo… I'm so—"

"It's okay, it's not your fault. The thing is, I've never talked to you about the way I feel until now, and that was because I knew you had no place in your heart for me, or anyone else, but I think that maybe that heart has healed just enough to get a glimpse out of your shell and start enjoying life again, and maybe, I thought you could let me be the one who can help you rediscover that joy."

He kept silent and so did she, his words sinking in her mind. Had she been in a shell as he said? Had she really become that sad, gray person Hojo was talking about? Was this man so committed to her that he had waited for six years for her heart to have room for him?

"I don't mean to awake some kind of sympathy in you, if you decide I can't be that person, then I will not push the matter any further. I've respected you for all this time and I would never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable, I promise you will never feel uneasy around me and our relationship will remain professional and respectful."

"Really?" Kagome asked with an arched brow. Somehow, his promise reminded her of her own promise to Inuyasha, when she had told him she would stay by his side even if at the end he decided to stay with Kikyo.

He nodded. "Don't be so arrogant Higurashi," he said with a teasing smile. "It will be painful, but I'm sure I'll move on and eventually find a nice girl, but I hope you could at least consider me."

She laughed at that and then went contemplative for a couple of minutes. Hojo just stirred on his seat and tapped the floor with anxiety. The yakimeshi went colder.

"I think…"

His eyes went wide and he grabbed his chair, as if looking for support in case the answer killed him in that very spot.

She wanted to be happy, right? Hojo had just told her that if she were to reject him, he would move on. _Certainly_ Inuyasha had moved on. Shouldn't she do the same? But now, could she see Hojo as more than a friend? Well, to be honest she had never given him the slightest opportunity, or to any of the other guys who had asked her out on the past years. She made up her mind.

"I think I'll consider you," she finally said with a smile.

Hojo couldn't believe his ears, he went frozen for some moments and his jaw dropped, but he finally reacted and flashed a wide grin. His eyes were practically shimmering. She didn't think she had seen someone look so happy.

"But," she raised a finger. "I only said _consider_. All right?"

"That's enough for me," he answered happily and once again raised his glass, repeating his phrase. "We should make a toast, Higurashi, for our future!"

She hesitated for a moment, but this time, Kagome also raised her glass.

* * *


	20. Memories

Chapter twenty: Memories

**Sengoku Jidai. 1602 a.C.**

Sango bowed three times and knelt down, then, closing her eyes, kissed the tip of her fingers and took them to the dark stone in front of her.

Inuyasha felt a strange tingle in his stomach at this and turned his head to the sky. The clouds were white as cotton and the sunrays warmed his face. How different was the weather that year… even if no doubt, there would still be rain.

"Even since the last battle, there's a rumor about this place being haunted," she said with a little smile. Kirara, who had been resting on her shoulder, jumped down and started chasing a couple of butterflies that passed over her head.

Inuyasha looked around; it wasn't strange that such stories surrounded the tomb, well, if it could be called a tomb. There were shriveled trees around the clear and many fallen, blackened logs and shattered, teeth-like rocks adorned the periphery, giving an unnatural air to the surroundings. Also, despite green, tall grass that moved along with the wind garnished the place. There were many patches here and there where only bare dirt could be seen, and where, he was sure, nothing would ever grow again.

And they were standing right in the middle of the largest of them. Well, more than a patch, it was a deep, sterile hole, and there was where the black monolith rested; it was the only physical testimony of a man who existed once and whose name was Miroku.

Inuyasha's mind returned to the last time he had been there; he was still a hanyou and he and his friends were battling for the tama, and for their lives.

Miroku's last seconds on this earth returned to his mind with a painful throb in his guts and also all of what came to pass after that; how the completed Shikon no Tama had landed at Kagome's feet, and how it had been purified at her single touch, turning into a beautiful, bright shade of pink. Pure and ethereal.

He also remembered how Naraku… that filthy, repugnant thing that had been born into existence from that poor bastard Onigumo, lashed at her, ready to crush her frail body between his miasma filled tentacles.

Inuyasha recalled looking around in desperation, discovering Kirara passed out, Sango shocked, unable to move, and Miroku gone. Luckily they had managed to get rid of Kanna and those youkai at Naraku's service. Naraku himself had killed his servant Kagura just weeks before.

But still, he wouldn't be able to vanquish that _thing_ alone, he knew it, his pride hurt and he felt maniacally homicidal, but yet, he knew it. It didn't matter if they got the tama and ran away, it didn't matter if they hid forever, Naraku would always follow, and in that very moment he was about to kill again.

And it would be Kagome.

So Inuyasha did the only thing he could think of to save her; he jumped to her and took her in his arms, escaping from Naraku's limbs by a mere second.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" asked Kagome with trembling voice. Her eyes were red and her face showed her sorrow at Miroku's fate. Inuyasha placed her carefully on the upper branch of a tree and forced her hand open, retrieving the tama.

He looked at her, trying to transmit all of what he was feeling at the moments. The words wouldn't come to him. "Trust me," was the only thing he said, next he jumped down in front of Naraku, ignoring Kagome's cries, resolute. He knew what he had to do… A pure wish.

So the tama would be gone forever, and with it, all the pain and disgraces it had caused… and any power it had granted. Including Naraku's.

"I'm glad, really, that way people won't come here to disturb my Houshi-Sama's tomb," Sango said while she cleaned the dry flowers around the stone, the ones she herself had placed there last year, and carefully laid the freshly cut ones she had gathered. Inuyasha's mind returned to the present.

"There you go, Miroku," she whispered, her eyes fixed on the monolith. "Here I am again, as I promised, and this time Inuyasha's decided to accompany me."

All that devotion, those caring words… he felt that angry tingle again.

"Why do you talk to him? I though you believed he had transcended," said Inuyasha grimly, his arms crossed over his chest. Sango turned her profile to him, the recriminating gaze made him regret his words at once.

"If you're not going to pay your respects, then the least you could do is to hold you tongue, Inuyasha."

Her eyes remained hard as they turned to the stone. Inuyasha became speechless as a wave of shame washed over him, he didn't know why he had said such thing; it was Miroku's last place on earth where he was standing on, his friend. He, who fought along him and who gave his life for all of them… but more specifically, for Sango, the girl who he loved and who loved him back. Another tingle.

Anyway, he shouldn't have said that. He knelt down next to her.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that," he mumbled and bowed twice, as Sango had done.

Her face became soft again when she regarded him. "It's okay, I'm glad you came, really, just try not to be your old self," she said with a faint, but roguish smile.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You know, you had been so agreeable during the whole trip until _now_."

"Keh!" She chuckled at his classic response but it was replaced with a long sigh.

"What?" he asked.

"I do believe he has transcended, but still it feels nice to talk to him, I like to think that somehow, wherever he is, he can listen to me and that he's watching over me, you know? I like to feel he hasn't totally left me."

Inuyasha made a face and looked at the stone.

"You still love him, don't you?" he asked before he could stop the words.

Sango looked at him a little startled. They usually talked about many things but he almost never asked her that kind of questions. "I… well, yes, I do, though not as much as you still love Kagome, I guess." She shrugged her shoulders, positively avoiding his eyes.

_What was that supposed to mean?_

Before Inuyasha could voice this, Sango continued, "although, it's different since I know that no matter what, Miroku will never come back to me and I am resigned to that. I suppose the issue is easier for me, because it's over, but you… well, Kagome didn't die, she just left, and one day she might come back, or she might not… I bet that must have been killing you all these three years."

Inuyasha was agape, he didn't know he was that transparent, or perhaps, it was only that Sango knew him that well? And did he note a hurt tone when she said the last part?

"I… um… sort of…"

"What would you do if she returned? Let's say, if she were at the village when we came back?"

Inuyasha scratched his head, his brow furrowed. "I—I don't know, I'd be happy I guess. Why are you asking me that?" he rushed to say.

"Why did you ask me that about Miroku?"

"I was just curious alright? Can't I ask a simple question?" He stood up and dusted his clothes. "I'll go hunt s'mthing, I'm hungry as hell, ain't you? It's already past noon, what d'you want? Deer or rabbit?" He said all this so fast that he barely understood his own words.

Sango blinked a couple of times and then pointed at the north with her finger. "Um… there's a village about three hours walking from here, but we can go on Kirara if you're so hungry."

"Fine, whatever."

Sango looked at him with a strange look while she called for Kirara, who transformed right away into a great fire neko. The youkai lowered her body so Sango could climb up.

"Ok, let's go, jump up." She patted the spot behind her.

Inuyasha could feel his hands starting to sweat. When hunting youkai, rarely had they had to mount on Kirara at the same time, but he had to accept he enjoyed those times very much. And now there was the chance again, and this time without the pressure of a dragon slashing at them or a giant firefly throwing venom at their heads.

Of course he knew he was physically attracted to Sango, who wouldn't? The girl was beautiful, and her eyes… and her body… but something pulled him back each time he started to feel that way, maybe because it felt like he was betraying Kagome, maybe because he had known her for so long and he didn't want to mess up things, or maybe just because he didn't want to get hurt again. What the hell was he thinking?

"Inuyasha? Are you coming?"

He craved for it. No wait! He didn't want to! Well, he did, but he didn't! Oh what the hell!

Inuyasha dropped his shoulders in defeat and climbed behind her as her silky hair brushed his face. He embraced her slim waist with one hand as the other held her by the shoulder. He breathed in her essence and allowed his mind to feel dizzy and his lower belly to feel electrified.

Well… there was nothing to do about it… As long as Sango didn't realize it, this little bliss wouldn't harm anyone.

Inuyasha was so lost in his own sensations that he didn't notice when Kirara took off, or the wind passing through his black hair, or that the girl sitting in front of him was shivering, her heavy eyelids closed at the feeling of his chest against her back, and the hand surrounding her sensitive waist, and the heat emanating from him, mixing up with her own.


	21. That night at the taijiya village

Chapter twenty-three: That night at the taijiya village

She looked at her arms and smiled; they were full of wild flowers. No doubt the graves would look beautiful with all those colorful bouquets.

Sango felt a strange mix of sensations when she spotted the hill where her village rested; as always, there was the unavoidable, piercing melancholy when her childhood memories flooded her, and also the immense sadness when she recalled that each one of those childhood friends and family were dead now. There was as well the void for their departure, and more recently, some sense of fulfillment for she knew they had been avenged and that they might now rest in peace.

However, that searing rage that had took over her after Naraku's deceit and the massacre of her people had almost vanished. She had felt how, little by little, her soul was more at peace and that it hurt less to laugh. Also, year after year, it was easier to return to this place. It wasn't that painful anymore.

At least it was so until Sango and Inuyasha approached the gates of the abandoned taijiya village.

"But—What does it--? I don't—" Sango stopped, her eyes rounded and her mouth open.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha's hand went to his handle, alert. He didn't understand what had upset Sango, but the hell he would be caught off guard.

"The gates… they're down!" she cried, anguished, then she ran ahead, but Inuyasha caught her by the arm.

"Wait, Sango! What about that? They've been down for a long time!"

"No! They haven't! Shippo and I rebuilt them last year! Someone's been here! Oy! Let me go, Inuyasha!"

Sango freed from his gasp and sprang to the village. Inuyasha went after her. However, he couldn't complain about her lack of caution, for he, as well as Sango, froze at the view that greeted them.

"Wha--?" he muttered

The bouquets fell to the ground.

Sango felt rooted to the ground, her limbs went cold and she felt as if she couldn't breath, as if her lungs weren't able to drag enough air to keep her alive. Her head spun.

"Who… who could have done this?" Inuyasha asked, looking around in bewilderment. He walked into the village and knelt down in front of one of the several mounds there. He picked up something rounded and white from the ground and dusted the mud and dirt away from its surface. It was a human skull.

Sango found she wasn't able to speak. She just looked around and saw with horror how bones and funeral offerings laid scattered all around the village. The tombs of her friends and family were open like wounds on the ground and even some skulls were hanging from ropes over the remaining houses. Arrows traversed them, as if someone had used them as shooting targets.

Her knees buckled. The rage was back, and before, it had made her get up and fight, but this time, the pain was stronger, and it bent her, it defeated her. She surrendered.

Sango fell to the ground with her eyes astray and a blank expression upon her features, a hand covering her mouth, stopping a silent scream, the other hand's fingers dug into the ground. Inuyasha went to her.

"Sango? Sango!" he said, but she seemed to be in some kind of trance. Only after he shook her by the shoulders she seemed to come out of it. She blinked a couple of times, like if she didn't understand exactly where she was.

"Are you alright?" he asked, and she looked at him as if she had never seen him in her entire life or as if surprised to find him there.

"Uh?"

"Are you okay?" he asked again. Sango took her hands to her hair and she pulled it, closing her eyes in a pained expression, but then she took several deep breaths and stood up, nodding absently.

"I… Yes, but the tombs… just look at them… How did it--? We… we have to bury them again, Inuyasha." She took Hiraikotsu from her back and with no more words, buried the tip of her weapon into the soil and started digging. Inuyasha looked at her with a pained expression, but followed her without a word.

* * *

"One would think I've suffered enough," she said to no one. That lost look hadn't abandoned her since they found out what had happened. 

Inuyasha put a basin full of water in front of her. When Sango didn't do any attempt to move, he took her right hand and submerged it into the water, then started to clean her fingers from all the mud stuck between them. As if their task hadn't been lamentable enough, it just _had_ to start raining.

"I must have been some kind of war lord in the past, or done something really awful to deserve all of what's happened to me," she continued her monologue, her eyes fixed somewhere in the shadowed corners of the house. He just listened…at least she was talking.

Inuyasha removed her hand and dried it with a drape, then he started washing the other one. He had discovered several utensils and clothes inside the huts still standing, some old and tattered, some new. It seemed that, effectively, someone had been living there for the past year, but apparently he, or they, hadn't returned in a long time. He hoped they would not return at all, or maybe they should, so he could teach them.

"At least I'm glad Kirara went off hunting before we got here… I wouldn't have wanted her to see what happened…"

Another long silence.

"But it was silly, it was logical this could happen, this is a desolated fortress, the perfect place for thieves and scum to come and hide… I should have guarded the village better, I should have set traps and I don't know why I didn't… I was so stupid, I—"

"Enough."

He lifted her face by the chin and looked at her. He was worried, she hadn't cried or screamed, or anything, she just kept in that hypnotic state… He had to do something to bring her out of it.

"This is not your fault and I know that you know it, deep inside of you. I know you feel responsible for these graves, but you haven't failed them. You pray for them and you come and visit, and you've accomplished your role one more time by re-burying them, so cut the crap. It is not your fault," he finished and then gave her a bowl of rice that he had made himself. Sango had forced him to learn, telling that if she was going to fight youkai then it wasn't fair for her to be the only one to cook.

"I… but why's this all happening to me?" She looked at him as if he could provide the answer.

Inuyasha sat in front of her with his own bowl of food.

"Come on! Don't think the whole universe is against you! Lots of people suffer during their whole lives, as much as you or even more!"

Sango looked at him, resentful.

"You could be a little more understanding. You are being mean to me," she said with a low voice and a slight pout.

He looked at her as if to retort, but gave a deep breath instead. "I don't want you to be like this any more. You had been okay during the journey and… I want you to be fine again. I'm sorry if I'm rude but you know I'm not exactly a sensitive guy."

Well, that wasn't completely true; he knew she'd react to his bad manners.

Sango couldn't stop a feeble smile. "Thanks… then, for trying to cheer me up."

"S'nuthin'…"

Outside, rain was falling with renovate strength while an occasional thunder completed the symphony of drops hitting the roof persistently.

"Come on, eat something," he said after a while, even though his own dish remained almost full. It seemed it was impossible to eat after performing the sad task of guessing which skull belonged to which skeleton and then having to bury them, and sadly, they had to end up digging a communal grave for all of them. The bones were so scattered that it was impossible to do otherwise. At least he was glad they finished before sunset.

Sango looked at the bowl and tilted her head. Strangely, she recognized the pattern on the pottery. She looked up and for the first time, noticed that Inuyasha had chosen to pass the night in the house that she and her family had inhabited so long ago. How hadn't she noticed?

There was the corner where she once kept her futon. She looked outside and her eyes found the porch where she and her brother used to sit and talk for long hours, and they were sitting right where father liked to play Go with her.

Sango couldn't take it anymore, the images of her father and brother's despoiled bodies came back to her and the horror of it all finally stuck her. She left her bowl fall and it shattered in dozens of pieces, then, the tears flowed, and the cries, and the desperation she had shut inside.

Inuyasha went to her side and held her, just as he had done when Shippo left, and again stroked her hair tenderly. How he wished he could spare her from all that pain.

"Sh, s'alright, it's over," he whispered in her ear as her sobs drowned against his chest. After several minutes, Sango raised her head and found him looking at her with warm and caring eyes.

Inuyasha cupped her face and cleaned her tears with his thumbs, kissing her forehead. She was so close…

"S'alright…" he whispered again.

At his touch, Sango closed her eyes and tilted her head a little up whilst her left arm surrounded his torso; her touch light and tremulous, her tears still falling.

He couldn't help it -he wasn't sure he wanted to- and kissed her wet cheek. She, in return, pressed her lips against his jaw where she, as well, left a soft kiss. His hand caressed her nape slowly and played with the baby hair nested there, rolling it up around his index finger.

"S'ok… Sango-chan…"

Her other hand traveled up his arm and grasped his shoulder, as if not wanting him to stop, then she opened her eyes despite the reluctance of her eyelids and fixed her gaze with his.

"Inu… yasha…" she sighed his name, stretching her neck up, her lips now inches from his.

Her hot breath and her body pressed against him took away all trace of consciousness in him and finally, closing his eyes, he lowered his head.

When their lips met at first, he could swear something electrifying passed between them, like a shot from the thunder brothers, only more, much more pleasant, and she tasted so sweet and salty… it was like no kiss he'd ever felt.

Sango felt his hand caressing her nape more fervently and his other arm encircling her waist, bringing her closer to him. He nibbled softly her lower lip first, then the upper one and she responded to it, imitating his actions with eagerness. She had never experienced anything like that and it was like she couldn't get enough. She opened her mouth to him.

Inuyasha brushed her hair away so he could keep touching more of that soft, porcelain neck, feeling bolts passing through him when he drew a moan out of her. He could think of nothing but the sensations running through his body and the sound of his own heart in his ears.

He opened his eyes and found hers, colored in a dark shade of brown. He brought his caresses on her neck to a halt and looked at her, unsure, questioning. Sango read that question in his orbs and nodded her consent, biting her lip in anticipation.

Slowly, Inuyasha lowered her to the tatami, kissing her again and Sango wouldn't let go of his back, dragging him along with her. He now started kissing the line of her jaw, making her arch her back, being her turn now to make him moan… It felt so incredible, and it kept her mind out of everything… nothing existed, there was no pain, just them.

But something yanked at the back of her mind.

"Inuyasha…" she spoke, breathless.

He stopped his actions and looked at her, a twinkle of fear in his eyes. Had he screwed things up? What was he doing? He tried to move away, but she kept firm her embrace on his back.

"Yeah?" he asked in the smallest voice he had ever muttered.

"What about Kagome? What if she does come back?" she said, lowering her eyes.

He knew it now, he had wanted to do this for so long.

"I don't think it would make any difference, Sango…"

Inuyasha took her lips with his again.

Outside, the rain became a storm, but it came and went, completely unnoticed by the couple inside the house, making love for the first time.

------------------------------------------------------


	22. Can’t go Can’t stay

Chapter twenty-two Can't go. Can't stay

Inuyasha woke up, partly because of the chirps outside the house and partly because of the weight on his chest. He knew what _that_ weight was.

But still, it all seemed so unreal, as if he couldn't finish understanding what had happened between them, and he wasn't sure how to feel or think of that.

Indeed, Sango was sleeping peacefully on top of him, her face set in a serene expression and her long hair sprawled across his chest. The early morning sunrays entered the house and illuminated her bangs, making streaks of brown shine beautifully in the light. How different from Kagome's black ones with its blue reflects…

_What was that?_

"It's a shame." A sleepy voice cut his thoughts; Sango opened her eyes lazily and took a hand to the top of his head, caressing it. There was a smile upon her face that couldn't have been described as anything but blissful. "I would have loved to touch your white ears, I bet they were really soft."

Inuyasha went mute, maybe for her revelation, maybe for the sweet tone of her voice or perhaps because of that face. Probably it was all of them.

"You liked my dog ears?" he finally managed to ask.

"Yeah, I always thought they were very cute." She giggled.

"Well, you never said a thing," he said as he began to relax, he found he liked to see that expression on her face, it was so much better than the one from yesterday.

"Would you have let me touch them?" Sango asked.

Inuyasha pondered for a moment and then answered with a smile. "Not really."

"Well, that's why, besides, I didn't consider it appropriate at the time, but I also like your black hair."

"Good, because there's no way for me to get those ears back." He pulled her closer to him and rested his chin on top of her head, trying to get a little warmer. The morning was chilling and the only thing covering their naked bodies were the couple of blankets they had brought with them.

They kept quiet for a long time, just enjoying the feeling of being in the other's arms, but after a while, Sango started sighing over and over.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked. Sango looked up.

"Inuyasha…"

"Yeah?"

"And now what?"

_And now what?_

"Uh?"

Sango buried her face into his chest, hugged him stronger and entwined her legs with his even more, as if trying to hide, or protect herself inside of him.

"You know what I mean… about yesterday… What do we--? What are we… um…"

"Oh, right…"

"What if I'm with child?" she said in a frightened, small voice.

There was a pregnant pause while Inuyasha tried to clear his mind but he just couldn't focus, still he managed to gather enough concentration to come out with the most obvious solutions.

"I guess… we'll just have to get married… I deflowered you so that's the right thing to do…"

What was he saying? He felt cold all the sudden despite the warmth of Sango's body. A thousand of thoughts swirled inside his head, making him feel lost.

"The right thing to do…okay," she repeated. Her body relaxed considerably, but her voice sounded let down.

After a few minutes of laying in silence, she stood and, wrapping one of the blankets around her, walked to the porch. The morning was beautiful; last night's storm had cleared the sky and there was not a single cloud in the bright blue sky. She shivered when a cool breeze caressed her bare shoulders.

Inuyasha started to dress. The mayhem in his head diminished, but more from numbness than from resolution.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to…" she spoke, still looking at the sky. "I don't want to force you, I don't want you to feel obliged to it just because _that's the right thing to do_… after all, we weren't ourselves yesterday… I'd understand, really."

He stood behind her. He wanted to hold her, but he wasn't sure if she would allow him to, so he just stayed there.

"No, really, I want to do it… I don't want to dishonor you, you're not something to play with and then throw away… I'm responsible for you now and I'll take care of you and our baby, if there's any."

Once the words left his lips, he realized the confusion was smaller and he felt more at ease. He really meant those words, to his surprise. Yet, his confidence went down when she turned to him, her eyes glassy.

"Even if you don't love me?"

"Eh… I…"

Shock. Silence.

"See?" She walked past him and started to put her Kosode on.

"Um… listen, we should go back to the village, there we can talk about it, I don't know, to think about things better," he suggested, but Sango didn't answer, apparently too busy, tying up her hair.

"Sango?"

"I'm not going back."

"What?"

She raised her eyes to him, a firm gesture on her features. "I said I'm not going back, I can't."

"B-but why not? What the hell are you talking about?" Inuyasha felt anger rising inside him. What was she playing at? Was she trying to test him?

"I can't leave my village again. Just look at what happened while I was away! I can't allow these tombs to be desecrated again! I have to guard them!"

"Are you mad? You can't stay here alone!"

"Then stay with me!"

"What?"

She turned to him, decided.

"Stay here with me, Inuyasha. You said you want to keep my honor, then… do that, marry me and keep my honor _and_ my family's by guarding their memory and their resting places with me."

She extended her hand to him and gave him a hesitant, hopeful smile, but Inuyasha was frozen in his place. Sango withdrew it with a hurt expression.

"We can't stay Sango! There's nothing here!" he burst, flailing his arms.

"We'll re-build it!"

"And what about Kaede?"

"We're not abandoning her, and she's got her own village to look after and who will look after her."

He didn't want to stay. He had to go back, he just had to!

He raised his arms. "It's stupid! You can't just stay here because of the dead! You can't stop your life or change it for all these people who'll never come back!"

"Look who's talking!" Her eyes started to water, but this time, the tears mixed with her anger.

"What do you mean?"

She spoke in a low, furious voice. "How dare you tell me about stopping my life for such thing when you do the same? Why don't you face it? I know why you don't want to stay!"

"Oh yeah? And why's that?"

"Because you can't stay away from the well!"

There was a hole in his stomach, or was it under his feet? Inuyasha felt cold.

"You can't stay with me because you're still waiting for her. Why would I marry you, Inuyasha? What would be the point? The second she comes back, you'll ditch me, and if it never happens, then you'll never be with me… because you'll keep waiting for her, forever. You said yesterday that it wouldn't make any difference if she returned, but that's a lie..." The anger was gone, now it seemed only sadness poured from her.

"That's not true…" he muttered in a low voice.

"Yes… it is… and I'm strong enough to accept it. Now leave and don't worry about me. I shall be fine."

Sango nodded toward the door, her arms crossed protectively over her chest. Inuyasha stood there, frozen. His mind was shredded between accepting the truth in her words and fighting fiercely against them at the same time.

No side could win, so fury took the place of confusion.

"So that's how it's gonna be?" he asked, his face contorted in a grim gesture.

"That's up to you," she answered in a feeble tone.

"No! It's _your_ problem! If you don't want to marry me then just say so but don't come up with that shit! Want me gone? Huh? Watch me!"

Inuyasha turned his back to her, took Tessaiga on his way out and exited the house. He didn't stop when he reached the gates and descended the hill, or after he interned into the woods. He didn't stop even when he heard her first sob escape her, or when he felt his chest being pierced by an invisible knife, or when his eyes started to water.

Inuyasha kept walking.


	23. The Ronin

Chapter twenty-five: The Ronin

The noon's golden tones illuminated the tatami and bathed the entire house in shades of oranges and reds. Also, the air was much warmer and the morning sounds had died long ago, but hardly any of this was registered by Sango.

Curious. She didn't notice it was already past noon. She didn't remember at what time she had sat on the floor either. Sango just felt cold and empty and a vague mist engulfed her mind; it had taken over her since Inuyasha left and she hadn't managed to get rid of it.

Not that she had really tried.

It felt nice not to be completely aware of the situation; it hurt less. Though in the back of her mind she knew that was only temporary, that later the pain would be there, hard and unmerciful, just like with battle wounds.

What would father think? Why had she allowed it to happen? Why had she been so weak?

She knew why. Sango had suspected it for quite some time. She had tried so hard to avoid it, to kill such feelings for considering them treason, something impossible, but now she _knew_; she was in love with Inuyasha.

It was the way her heart jumped each time he smiled at her, the way her skin tingled at his touch, the way his pain was hers, his joy, her bliss, and how she longed for his presence; how it even hurt to be far from him.

Well… it appeared that now she had managed to drive him totally away, but… it was better that way, really. He would never love her in return for he loved only Kagome and she couldn't stand it. She couldn't bear it! The sole notion drove her mad with pain and frustration.

A pang in her chest almost made her bend while renewed tears ran over the salty patterns the old ones had left.

Now he was gone.

_Stupid, stupid!_

She cleaned her face as she bit her lip, mad at herself for being so weak, but she had to stop her reprimands as a strange noise called her attention.

Sango rose to her feet, her senses now fully alert.

There were voices approaching.

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"Stupid woman!"

Another innocent tree fell to the ground as Tessaiga cut its thick log with a single slash.

"How dares she! Aahg!" One more went down. "Call me a liar!"

Inuyasha fell on his knees, exhausted. Sweat drops crowned his forehead and his respiration was agitated. Kirara, who had found him thanks to all the noise he was making, was watching him, curious.

He felt furious, confused and frustrated, but over all he felt hurt. Inuyasha hated to feel hurt; it was the way he had felt most of his life.

He directed his gaze to the taijiya hill, as he called it, and gave a defeated sigh. Night would fall soon and he was still at the damned place. He had wanted to run and forget all about her and her words, but he hadn't been able to get away more than a few miles.

"What's wrong with me, Kirara?" he asked the small neko, who only tilted her head to a side.

Inuyasha sat against a still standing tree and sheathed his katana. He felt a twist in his stomach; it had been Sango who had returned his beloved Tessaiga to him.

No. What was wrong with her?

_Nothing, you're the stupid one here. She's right. You can't leave the well._

"I can!" he raised his voice, trying to shut his own thoughts up.

Well, if he could then why didn't he just do it? Why hadn't he accepted her offering? They would have a vast land.

But something pulled him back, the sole idea of being away from Kaede's village made him almost ill…

And yet, Sango would be so happy if they stayed… and he, finally, would have a place to call his own.

But Kaede's village kept so many memories… so many experiences…

What would life be like with Sango in the taijiya hill? Peaceful and yet exciting, for sure.

However, Kaede's village… he wanted to return…

Would Sango teach their child how to fight, as she had taught him? Would he watch them sitting on the porch, feeling proud of his two warriors?

Suddenly, Inuyasha discovered he was smiling; the idea of staying didn't sound as unbearable as it had hours ago…

Why did he _really_ want to return? Was it only because of Kagome? Was Sango right?

_I guess… I really could stay and try… maybe._

_And what would you do here?_

_I bet I can rebuild this place, it'd be a really nice home, once all was set up..._

_But you wouldn't be at ease, so far from the well. You need Kagome!_

_Of course not! I don't live on hope of Kagome's return!_

_Are you sure? Then why do you doubt it?_

_I... I don't know! Maybe it's just the custom to be there!_

_You wouldn't be happy here! She wouldn't give you what you need! Only Kagome could do that!_

_But she's not coming back! And I don't care! I told Sango it wouldn't matter if she returned!_

_But you didn't mean it! You only wanted to have her! _

_That's a lie! I meant it!_

_Why?_

"Because I love her damn it!"

Inuyasha's eyes went round and his mouth fell open. At some point he had stood up, his hands had become fists and his mind was clear now, clearer than it had been in a long time.

What an idiot he had been! All these years she had been there at his side, and he had never realized it! It had been so subtle… she had entered his heart little by little until there was no room in it for doubts. He loved her!

He looked at the hill. He hoped it wouldn't be too late, he hoped she'd forgive him.

Inuyasha sprang to the village, Kirara right behind him.

He had something to say to Sango.

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Sango exited the house, Hiraikotsu at her back, her dagger in her sleeve and her wakisashi at her hip, ready to meet whoever had entered her home.

Soon, the voices became more audible and in no time, several silhouettes were visible against the golden sunset. She could tell they were fifty at least, mounted on horses, and they were armed.

The men entered the gates, laughing and making jokes. Sango observed, whilst they dismounted, that they were dressed in armors and had the two swords that identified them as Samurai. She also observed they had no crests or symbols from any daimyo.

Ronin.

One of them noticed her and approached her. Sango immediately noted the smell of sake on him.

"What are you doing here, little girl?" he asked. His comrades kept silence at once and they all fixed their eyes on the petite woman with the big boomerang at her back.

"That's exactly what I should ask _you_. What are you doing here? This is my home," she said in a hard tone, her face set in a severe frown.

The man looked dumbfounded for a second, but then he started to laugh and the other followed.

"Your home? Are you crazy? These have been our headquarters for months and they'll continue so for many more!"

Realization stuck her. Sango felt a white fury growing in her chest.

"This is the taijiya village and I'm the last one of them, and those tombs belonged to my family and friends!" she screamed, Hiraikotsu was in her hands in a second.

"So what? Have anything to say, pretty thing?" Another man approached her with a leer.

"These were my people you used for your sick games! You're nothing but animals! Beasts!"

"Watch your mouth, pretty thing! You don't want to find out the ways I have to shut it for you!" The second man said as he stretched his arm and took her by the neck, intending to lift her, but Sango, in a swift move, cut his hand, using her hidden dagger.

"You little bitch! You have any idea of the punishment for attacking a Samurai?" The man looked astonished at her and took a step back, clutching his hurt hand. Those behind ended their laughter at once.

"You're not Samurai. You're nothing but bitter Ronin who dishonor the Bushido ways!"

"What do you know about our ways!" A third, skinny one asked. The others started surrounding her.

"Enough to know a true Samurai doesn't violate burial places!" She secured her grab on her weapon and took a battle position. She felt she could cry, if her anger weren't so consuming.

"I'll teach you some respect, bitch!" The skinny one advanced to her and made a move to grab her by the hair, but Sango just swung Hiraikotsu, hitting him on the head and he fell to the ground, out cold.

The Ronin, first stunned at this, reacted quickly and advanced on her with their weapons in hand and battle cries.

Sango deflected a blow, and a second one. Hiraikotsu leaving a trail of unconscious bodies as more came to her, but they were many and despite her rage, she didn't want to kill them.

A blade found its target and Sango went to one knee, bleeding from her right thigh, but she raised Hiraikotsu just in time to stop a killing blow, and then another.

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Inuyasha leaned on a rock at the base of the hill, panting. He was almost there.

He took a deep breath, trying to regain a steady respiration and little by little he stopped hearing drums in his ears, but only then he heard something else; yells coming from the village and weapons clashing. Kirara twitched her ears and her fur crisped as she transformed in her demon form, growling.

Someone was attacking the village! And Sango was there, Alone!

"Kirara! Let's go!" he said with an urgent tone and a livid frown on his face as he jumped on the fire youkai and they both went into the air.

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Another blow sent a couple of men flying backwards, but they just kept coming, enraged, for fifty of them weren't able to defeat a single, wounded woman.

Sango swung Hiraikotsu, breaking yet another blade, then she had to hide behind her weapon to protect herself from the arrows shot by a couple of men who had managed to climb up a roof.

She had no choice but to unsheathe her wakisashi to keep Hiraikotsu as a shield. She blocked a slash at the right, then from behind, the Ronin spitting hateful words as they tried in vain to overpower her.

And yet, despite her numeric disadvantage, her blade would find an arm, cut a thigh, her handle would hit a head, or a chest, but she would never aim to any vital areas, though she was fearing that might have to change; they wouldn't desist and she was getting tired. Her head felt light and dizzy and her wound wouldn't stop bleeding.

A corpulent man, the one who insisted in calling her 'pretty thing' made his way toward her and let his katana fall over her with all his might, and this time, even though she deflected the attack, the force of the blow brought her to her knees and the pain in her thigh made her scream.

And the arrows kept raining.

That was it. She would have to do it, she'd have to kill, it was she or them. Sango cried in silence for now she would really lose it all; her people, her family, her friends, her virtue, Imuyasha… and now her hands would be stained with death.

What would be left of her soul?

And then, a ray of light; a furious yell. She knew that yell, she had heard it so many times before! Inuyasha, riding Kirara, appeared in the sky. Several men, superstitious, screamed and ran in terror at the vision of Kirara, but most stayed, fearing they would be called cowards afterwards.

"Sango!" he screamed and jumped between her and her attacker, taking him out of combat with a strong hit on the head with his saya.

"Are you alright?" He eyed her leg with worry as he took her by the waist and put her on her feet.

"Y-you came back…" she said, trying as hard as she could to remain standing up, using Hiraikotsu to support herself.

"I did."

Kirara jumped in front of her mistress, deflecting the arrows with her body and growling furiously, her eyes were bright red and her saber teeth flashed at the men, who took several steps back.

Inuyasha took his eyes from Sango and severely looked at the invaders, raising his voice.

"Leave at once! All of you! The lady of the house here has been kind enough to allow you to keep your miserable lives, but I will not be so benevolent! So take your wounded and get out of here and never come back!"

The dozen or so still on their feet looked doubtful, probably comparing the dishonor of a defeat against the chance to keep on living, but then Kirara jumped to the front and grabbed one of them by the leg, swinging it around like a rag doll and then letting go of him, just as a warning.

That was all it took; those who could walk took the fallen ones and in mere seconds they had mounted their horses and ran out of the village as if there was no tomorrow.

"Bastards!" Inuyasha scowled, but he turned his attention to Sango, who had finally drained her strength and was now leaning on him, panting hard. Kirara, now small again, looked apprehensive at her mistress.

"Sango? What is it? How do you feel?" He sat her on the ground and raised her bloody kosode to check on her wound. Sango diverged her eyes, embarrassed, but Inuyasha took her by the chin and made her look at him.

"No need to do that, I won't hurt you." He examined the wound; it wasn't profound, but it was somewhat large and it was bleeding profusely. He unknotted her mo-bakana from her waist and wrapped it around her thigh, making pressure to stop the flow of blood.

"There you go," he said and then he picked her up in his arms. Sango felt so dizzy that she couldn't help her head from falling on his shoulder.

"How did you manage to get hurt? They were nothing but a bunch of morons," he asked.

"There were many, and I didn't want to kill anyone, even if they were the ones who damaged the tombs. If you hadn't come… I don't know what would have happened." She felt drowsy now.

"But I came."

They entered the house where they had spent the night and he laid her carefully over those same blankets, then he went to the basin with clean water he had left there since yesterday.

"Why?" she asked in a small, trembling voice.

He removed the mo-bakana from the thigh and started washing the wound. "Because I had to," he answered.

"Oh." Sango flinched when he started drying her thigh. "I already told you, don't stay with me just because you feel responsible…"

"It's not like that." He took a clean piece of cloth and wrapped the wound again, then he unknotted her obi and opened her kosode. Sango stiffened, nervous. Her eyes searched for his, questioning.

"It's okay, I'm just going to take this off, it's dirty and full of blood, see?"

She relaxed and allowed him to remove the cloth and he helped her lay down, covering her with the blankets, then he took off his haori and placed it carefully under her head.

"You need to rest, try to sleep, I'll watch over you, and if those cowards dare to return I promise they'll regret it." Inuyasha lay at her side and started stroking her hair. Sango's eyes were closing on their own, their owner soothed by the caresses.

"Inuyasha?" she managed to ask.

"Yeah?"

"What do you mean with it's not like that?"

"I mean I returned because I wanted to, because I want to stay here, with you."

"Are you serious?"

He kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose and at last, he left a small kiss on her lips. "Yes. I am…"

Sango tried to touch his face, but her arm wouldn't response. She felt herself falling asleep already, despite all her efforts, but still she could mumble a small "Why?"

Inuyasha looked how her eyelids fought to remain open but lost the battle at last. Some seconds later, Sango's breath had become deep and even, her chest rising and falling in a rhythmic movement. She was profoundly asleep.

He touched her cheek with the tip of his finger and whispered in her ear, "Because I love you, my Sango-chan."

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Ronin were wandering Samurai without a master. Most of them followed honorable lives despite not having a lord to serve, but it was not always the case.

Obi: it is some kind of belt used to fasten kimono.


	24. Revelations

Chapter twenty-four: Revelations

She opened her eyes and turned her head over the wrinkled, kind face looming over her.

"Ah, it's good to see you awake, good morning, Sango." Kaede smiled pleasantly.

Sango rubbed her eyes and tried to focus her surroundings; ah, Kaede's hut. How had she gotten there? What had happened? Her thoughts were confusing but then it all came back to her; the tombs, Inuyasha, the Ronin.

Hadn't she made herself clear when she had told Inuyasha she wanted to stay in her village? How dare he bring her here?

"Before you start getting a tantrum child, allow me to speak a few words first," said Kaede with a patient tone.

Sango looked at her, puzzled, but Kaede had that knowing face. She… she seemed like if see… For Kami! She knew! She knew _all_ of what had happened! Sango felt her face burn with embarrassment.

"No need to worry, no need to worry, I'm no one to judge, dear child…"

"Oh…"

"And please, don't blame Inuyasha, when he appeared in the middle of the night with you, unconscious on Kirara, I made him tell me all of what had come to pass. Let me tell you that he did well in bringing you to me. You had lost a lot of blood and maybe you wouldn't have survived had you stayed in your village."

Sango sat up on the futon despite her leg still throbbed a little. "I… um… thanks for taking care of me, Kaede-baachan… How many days was I out?"

"Just one dear, but better thank Inuyasha, he was the one who wouldn't leave your side, just like you did when he was sick, remember? Well, now I have some tasks to do, if you'll excuse me."

Kaede stood up and exited the hut, not before giving Sango an eerie smile.

Sango heaved a sigh. The last memories came back to her, or had she dreamed it? Perhaps she had been delirious; she remembered Inuyasha telling her he wanted to stay with her. Her heart gave a jump at the mere thought and her stomach felt as if falling from a cliff, but she shouldn't leave her hopes get too high, after all, she knew what Inuyasha felt for Kagome… things were as they were and they couldn't be changed just because she had had an hallucination.

Sango proceeded to remove the blanket to inspect her leg, but it was heavily bandaged and besides, she had to cover it quickly again as the drape at the entrance was opened. She looked up to find a tall, dark haired young man looking at her with warm eyes.

"Hi." He knelt next to her.

Sango felt her mouth becoming a smile, even though she hadn't intended it, but she couldn't help the flip her heart gave or the funny sensations in her stomach. She couldn't help either wanting to reach for him and hug him with all her strength, and then her wish was granted; Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her.

"I was so worried when you didn't wake up, I'm sorry, I know you wanted to stay but I had to bring you here," he whispered in her ear, his hand stroking her back. Sango was frozen at first but she managed to hug him back, resting her head on his shoulder, smelling his essence.

Couldn't that moment last forever?

However, he separated from her and looked her in the eyes. "How do you feel?"

"F-fine."

"I'm glad."

"You came back… after all," she said as her eyes scanned his face.

"I did, and I told you I would stay with you, as you wished."

So, it hadn't been a hallucination. Her stomach flipped.

"W-why?" she asked with a frown.

"I would have already answered that question if you hadn't fallen asleep last time," he teased and gave him a boyish smile. Sango blinked.

"Well, I'm not asleep now…"

"Indeed."

There was a small quiet moment. Sango moved to one side, trying to make herself more comfortable, but Inuyasha's silence was driving her mad!

"So?"

"So what?" He was smiling! How dare he mock her!

"So why did you change your mind!" she said, exasperated. She wished she could stand up and smack him on the head.

"Because I discovered you are wrong." His voice changed then from teasing to a more serious tone.

"About what?"

"About the well… and about Kagome." He took her hand in his and, nervous, started making small circles with his finger.

"R-- really?"

"Yeah… I found out I'm not waiting for her anymore, and that night, I didn't lie to you, it really wouldn't matter if Kagome were here, because I only want to be with you."

"You're playing with me." She looked down, refusing to believe those words. She didn't want to be hurt again, to face reality and find herself alone one more time.

"I'm not, I need you." He searched her eyes.

"Why? Because overnight you realized you love me?" she said, eyes teary and a tone that intended to sound like sarcasm, but she was never very good at it.

"Yes, I do… well, I have known for a long time but it was only until now that I understood it." He intertwined his fingers with hers and kept his gaze firm, as if trying to decipher her thoughts.

Sango's mouth opened a couple of times but she couldn't mutter a word. She just stared at him, eyes wide open. Blush crept up her face.

He blunted; "so… are you gonna say something or am I making a fool of myself because you decided it was a bad idea after all and now you regret asking me to stay in the first place---"

She raised her hand and placed a finger over his lips, cutting his sentence off. "No… no, not at all, I just that can't believe it… I couldn't stand to wake up and discover I was having feverish dreams."

"You're not. It's real Sango. I… I love you."

She hid her face on his chest, hugging him while those menacing tears finally fell.

"I love you too, Inuyasha, so much," she said between sobs. Inuyasha rested his chin on top of her head. A relieved sigh escaped him and a huge smile transformed his face.

They stayed in each other's arms for a long time, enjoying their warmth and sweet whispers. That, until Sango's stomach emitted a sound so strong that it made Inuyasha laugh heartily.

"I guess we have to feed you, otherwise you won't get your strength back, Sango-chan."

Sango felt her insides melt at the sound of the word 'chan'. Never, not in a thousand years, she would have expected to hear Inuyasha call someone like that. And it had been to _her_ he had dedicated such caring name. She felt she could defeat hundreds of youkai in that very moment.

"Alright."

"But I'm afraid you'll have to let go of me so I can fetch you some food," he said.

"Do I have to?" she smiled and snuggled closer to his chest.

"If you want to return to the taijiya hill as soon as possible, then yes, I'm afraid you'll have to."

She raised her head and looked into his deep, dark eyes.

"Then, do you really want to go back?" she said, astonished. She still didn't dare to believe it all was happening.

"Only after you heal and Kaede marries us, of course." Inuyasha didn't say this with the resigned, scared face he had in the taijiya village but with a shy grin and bright, hopeful eyes.

"Are you asking me to… to _marry_ you?" Her cheeks became an even deeper shade of red.

"Yes, I guess I am, of course, only if you want to…"

She flung into his arms, knocking the air out of his lungs. Leg in pain and all.

"Ooof!"

"Oh, Inuyasha! Of course I do! I do!"

He hugged her again and lifter her face to his, capturing her trembling lips and placing there the sweetest kiss Sango had ever felt.

"I'm sorry to inform you but," he said between pecks "You have no way out now, you're all mine."

"I wouldn't want it any other way…" And they resumed their kisses.

Outside, Kaede gave a step back; it would be better not to enter her hut in that moment. She tried to get away as silent as possible. There was a satisfied smile on her face and a bowl of rice between her hands that now, would surely get cold.

Effectively, rice could wait. Now, where had she placed that scroll with the marriage ceremony?

THE END.

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**A/N:** Don't shoot me! There's still an epilogue for this story and I promise solemnly that everything shall be explained there. ;)

Thank you so much for your kind reviews and patience. One more update an this story will be history LoL!


	25. Epilogue

Epilogue: Reencounter

**Tokyo 2007 a.C.**

Hojo sighed. It was not that he didn't believe in her words, because he _did_. But it all sounded so unreal, too strange to be true.

But anyway there he was. Hey, he couldn't help it! He loved the woman and he would do anything to please her, even standing in front of a well and looking at her as she descends into it, hoping to get transported 500 years to the past.

"Ok, I'm ready," Kagome adjusted her yellow backpack. It was old and ragged and she hadn't worn it for more than eight years, but she somehow couldn't stand going back without it.

"Ok, then I guess you'll go now down there and you'll disappear into a bright blue light, right?" he teased her.

Kagome looked at him and made a face. "You still don't believe me, do you, Hojo-kun?"

"Eh…"

"You don't!" She hit him playfully on the chest.

"Don't worry honey, I still want to marry you, even if you're declared clinically insane. You know, I could think of very creative ways to cure you…" He nibbled her ear and grabbed her by the waist, pressing her against him. Kagome giggled.

"Not now, sweetie, when I return, ok?"

He growled, but let go of her.

"Alright then, jump down."

Kagome sat on the edge of the well and looked at its dark bottom. There were goose bumps in her stomach and she had to admit she was nervous. Her last visit to the sengoku jidai came back to her, making her dangle her feet with anxiety. But this time it was different.

This time she wasn't dying to get a justification or some explanation that would allow her to understand what had happened so she could move on with her life. The gap in her heart wasn't there any more, neither that perpetual pain that had drove her mad for so long. Her job, her family and Hojo had made it all go away. No, this time she only wanted to finally close this chapter, besides, she really wanted to see them.

"Come on, or did you decide to stay after all?" Hojo smiled at her. Her sweet, caring Hojo. She would have never thought that he would give her all the love she needed, but he did; in him she had found a partner, a friend, a lover, a child to play the silliest games that would keep them laughing for hours, and her best confident as well. So much she trusted him that she had told him all about the well, Naraku, their quest and even, about Inuyasha.

Odd enough, Hojo found the story fascinating and Kagome felt somewhat hurt in her pride for he didn't show the slightest indicative of jealousy. But that's just the way he was.

"Okay… I'll try to return as soon as possible, but bear in mind I might be gone for longer, even a week, alright?" she said.

"As long as you make it to the wedding…" his tone trailed off teasingly.

"Don't worry, I will." Kagome gave him a kiss on the nose and looked down again. The well seemed darker than ever.

_Well, the sooner the better. _She held her breath and jumped down.

Hojo covered his eyes with his arm as an intense light emerged from the well.

"Kagome!" As soon as the light disappeared, he ran to the well and looked down into it, using the lantern he had brought with him, but there was nothing at the bottom. Kagome wasn't there.

"I… I can't believe it… she's really gone…"

* * *

**  
**

She leaned against the wall.

She had forgotten the shaky sensation it caused to cross the well. After regaining her equilibrium, she looked up and frowned. There was no light coming from the well's mouth. Maybe it was night? Impossible, daytime here had always coincided with that of her own time. Cautious, she started to climb up.

When she reached the mouth, her puzzlement grew even more. It hadn't worked! She was inside the small shrine! Had the well stopped functioning? Had she lost her spiritual powers? Disappointment started to pour over her and she left her bag fall to the floor, defeated.

As she supposed, she had waited too long.

But then, where was Hojo? She called for him and her voice got lost between the wooden walls.

There was something missing. Kagome looked around; the shrine looked different and it lacked of that strong varnish smell it had acquiesced when grandpa had painted it last week.

Bewildered, Kagome picked up her bag and opened the doors. A fresh, clean breeze touched her face, moving her once again long hair

She wasn't at home. The woods she had envisioned so many times for the past years greeted her. She had crossed over.

But then, what did the shrine mean? She took a couple of steps back in order to have a better look at it and yes, it was the very same building that guarded the well in her time.

Why was it there? How? Who had built it? Suddenly she felt the need to know everything that had happened since she left.

_Curious_, she limited herself to think, in the meanwhile.

With a sigh, Kagome flung her bag over her shoulders and started walking the pathway that would take her to Kaede's village.

* * *

"Kaede-sama!" A girl approached the old miko, who was sitting outside her hut, warming her cold bones with a little sunlight. 

"There's a woman coming this way, she dresses funny… Do you think it's one of those foreigners?" The girl finished her sentence with a fearing tone.

"A woman in funny clothes you say?" Kaede looked ahead. Only once before had someone appeared wearing strange clothes at her village. Could it be possible? No… surely not. It had been so long.

"Yes, look here she comes!" The girl pointed to an approaching figure and then ran away toward the opposite direction.

Kaede fixed her tired eye on the person. Her sight wasn't the same anymore and the most she could get from far objects were blurry images, but she would have recognized her no matter what.

The woman wearing jeans and a pink shirt stood up in front of Kaede and smiled.

"Kagome… is that really you?" she barely whispered.

"Yes, it's me. How are you Kaede-baachan? I've missed you so much!" Kagome knelt down and embraced her mentor. Her heart crushed when she felt the fragility of the old woman's body.

"I can't believe you're back child, but look at you! You're not a child any more! You're all grown up! Oh you're a joy for this old woman! Come here, let me hug you again."

Kagome allowed Kaede to do so, feeling as if she was an inexpert teenager again, and not the 26 years old doctor who would get married in a month.

Kaede observed her, a melancholic smile on her face. "Pardon me for telling you this, but even if you looked so much like her before, now you're her mirror image."

"I know," Kagome said. It no longer affected her as much as it did once, and she herself had admitted how much she looked like Kikyo, since that mirror image only increased as years went by.

"Now now, tell me, where have you been? Why didn't you come back as you promised? We all suffered for your absence," Kaede said and Kagome sighed.

"It's a long story, by the way, the others are still here, aren't they?" She looked around, as if expecting to see them popping out of nowhere at any moment.

"No, no, they aren't dear. Shippo left with his uncle several years ago and…"

"His uncle? He had an uncle? That's great! Where did he go? I wonder if I can see him, I've missed him so much."

"I doubt that, but I'll tell you about it later, and," Kaede dropped the next lines with extreme care. "Sango and Inuyasha live now in the taijiya village."

Kaede expected the woman in front of her to start asking questions, or get furious at the news, but to her surprise, Kagome only nodded acquiescently. As if she was expecting such news.

"I see, well, I guess I'll have to travel there then. I came mostly to see them."

"You did?"

"Yes. Kaede-baachan, in how many days do you think I can reach the village?"

"Um… it's a week travel on foot, but you might get there much sooner if I lend you a horse, besides, there are new roads that will shorten your journey considerably."

"I'd appreciate that, thanks a lot, Kaede-baachan."

Kaede eyed her with worry and moved her head. "However it will be better if you change your attire, things have changed a little since the last time you were here."

"Why? What's wrong with my clothes?" She looked down at her outfit. Sure it was much better than that little fuku she used to wear around. What had she been thinking?

"It's the new shogun, Hideata. It's true he's done a lot of good things like maintaining the peace and making new roads, but also he has started a campaign against foreigners and Christians, intending to expulse them all, the poor souls. Any one who looks suspicious may face problems and those who help them might end up jailed or worse."

"Oh, that's right! I had forgotten about that!" She slapped her forehead. Indeed, her history lessons rested rusty and unused somewhere in the back of her brain, replaced by chemical formulas, medicament doses and the functions of the nervous system.

"Then it will be better if we give you clothes less… _peculiar_, so come on, and while we're at it, why don't you tell me about that long story?"

Leaning on a walking stick, Kaede stood up and entered her hut. Kagome followed.

* * *

"Ichi, ni, san… Ichi, ni, san…" The little girl pointed at the rocks that shaped the wall surrounding her home. She was intending to count how many there were, --her dad had told her they were thousands—but knowing only how to count until three was proving to be an obstacle in her mission. 

"Um, ichi… huh?" She interrupted the task, raising her head. She could hear the sound of hooves approaching. The girl rose up and went to the gate, trying to see who it was through the small gap between the heavy doors.

And then she saw a beautiful woman riding on a horse. She was dressed in white and red and was carrying a bow at her back. The woman brought her horse to a halt and just stayed there, quiet and observing.

The girl looked at her with curiosity and decided to find out more about the pretty lady, so she ran to her secret place, there, where she had discovered a small hole in the wall, and going through it, went to meet her.

Kagome looked at the place. Was it the same? How much it had changed. The palisade was gone and in its place there stood a white wall.

"Hi!"

She turned, startled, to face a little girl standing beside her horse. She hadn't been there a second ago, Kagome could swear. She was wearing a kerchief over her head that covered her hair and a small, pink kimono that was dirty with mud here and there.

"Hi," she answered back with a smile.

"Are you a miko?" The girl offered her a grin. "I know you are because of the way you dress. When my little sister grows up she'll be a miko too!"

Kagome descended from her horse and got closer to the girl. "Really?"

"Yeah! What's that yellow thing on your back? Can I see it, please?"

Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the sparkle this child had. She couldn't be older than four, she reckoned.

"This is my travel bag, I have many things in here. Would you like to try some chocolate?"

Kagome lowered her bag and searched inside, producing a Hershey's tablet. The girl looked mesmerized at the peculiar wrapping and followed carefully Kagome's movements as she opened the candy and handed it to her.

"Here you go."

The girl looked at the suspicious food and then reached tentatively for it, but when she took the first bite her face exploded in the most delighted smile Kagome had ever seen.

"This is good! I like it a lot! Thank you so much, Miko-Sama!" she bowed and then gave the chocolate bar another chunky bite.

"No problem," she laughed, enjoying the child's happy face. "Now tell me, do you live around here? You know who lives in this house?"

"Yes, oh look! I got my hands all dirty! Mommy's going to be mad at me!" And Kagome froze in her place, for the child took off her kerchief and started cleaning her chocolate stained hands.

A cascade of white hair fell over her shoulders.

"Y—you are…"

"Izayoi!" A male voice was heard and Kagome's heart jumped.

The girl took her hands to her mouth. "Daddy doesn't like it when I sneak out the house! Hide me, Miko-Sama!" She hid behind the red hakama. Kagome wished she could do the same but she was rotted to the spot.

The wooden doors opened and a black haired man appeared behind them.

"Izayoi! I told you not to go out the hou—" but he didn't end his sentence. His jaw dropped.

The girl ran to him and hugged his leg.

"I'm sorry daddy, don't be angry with me, I just wanted to meet the Miko-Sama. She's very pretty and she gave me chokorateru!"

They stood still, neither daring to move. Kagome examined him; his older version hadn't changed that much from the potty mouthed teenager she had left so many years ago, except he looked older. But there was something else; his eyes didn't hold that resentful spark that she had seen the last time she looked directly at them.

What was he thinking? Was he studying her as well? Evaluating how much she had changed? Or just asking what the hell was she doing there and why had she come back? Or hadn't, in the first place?

"Hi, Inuyasha," she finally said, trying as hard as she could to keep her voice firm and neutral.

"I never thought I'd ever see you again," he answered after several moments, then took the girl's hand in his and opened the doors a little more, gesturing Kagome with a movement of his head to enter.

"Come in," he offered.

Kagome took a couple of seconds to react, but she nodded and followed them inside. Little Izayoi let go of her father's hand and ran to the small pond in the middle of the yard, where she started chasing fireflies.

"She's beautiful," Kagome said. She looked at what once was the taiiya village and that now had become a beautiful house with blossoming gardens and the smell of recently cooked meal in the air. It had become a home.

"Your house is beautiful too." She wondered if Sango was inside, but decided not to ask.

"Thanks." He sat on a bench, his eyes fixed on her daughter as she pirouetted around the garden. "Have a seat," he told his sudden guest.

Kagome did as told.

"Interesting outfit," he commented. Kagome looked down at the miko clothes Kaede had lend her, _in order to avoid any kind of problems during the journey_, she had said.

"Kaede-baachan gave them to me," she straightened the fabric, then held her gaze to him. "Surely there must be a thousand of questions in your head right now," she blunted. Her feet twitched nervously.

"Don't you have a thousand questions of your own?" he answered, observing her carefully, like a patient sensei waiting for his pupil to come out with the right answer.

The wind blew softy over their heads, moving the sakura tree under which shadow they were sitting, also, the sunrays made their way through the foliage and butterflies danced around them, displaying their colorful wings. Everything was so peaceful there.

It was driving Kagome crazy!

She stood up and started pacing, anxious.

"This is not how I expected our meeting would be!" She stomped her foot down and then amazed at her actions. How long had it been since she had stomped her foot?

"Then, how did you expect it to be?" He tilted his head, a confused gesture on his face.

"I... I don't know! I was expecting you to scream at me or apologize or anything! But I didn't expect you to be there just… just… staring at me as if I were some strange bug! Come on! Aren't you surprised to see me at all?"

"I am. As I told you, I didn't think I'd see you again."

"Then what is it? Why ain't you biting my head off? Or getting all defensive?"

"Would you like me to?"

"Aaahg!" Kagome grabbed her head between her hands. _That_ was not the answer she was waiting! It was _so_ un-Inuyasha!

"N—no! I mean, I'm just wondering so many things…" Kagome dropped her shoulders and after sighing deeply, she sat down again.

"I wonder a lot of things myself, but I guess I can let you ask first," he said and crossed his arms over his chest and sat on a lotus flower position, but his face maintained an open look.

"Really?"

"As a host, it is my obligation."

Kagome frowned, but she imitated his position and sat so she could face him directly, except her hands were on her knees.

"Wow… you… you've changed so much… I never thought I'd ever see you being… polite."

"Well, you didn't think you'd find the same immature boy you left eight years ago, did you?"

"No… of course not." Lie. All those years she had hung to that Inuyasha's sassy, petulant behavior and she had hoped to find him just like that; ready for any fight and a 'keh' at the verge of his lips.

"We all change, Kagome. You have changed a lot too… though now you look even more like…" He didn't finish the sentence, probably afraid to make her uncomfortable. So she finished for him.

"Kikyo? Yes, I know…"

"Um… you're finally at peace with that, huh? That's okay. I'm glad for you. Well, now, ask."

She twisted her hair between her fingers before voicing her first question. "What are you feeling right now?"

Inuyasha thought for some moments, his index under his chin, then he said, "I'm surprised, very, and perhaps I feel some confusion for I don't know why you came back after all these years, though I'm curious to know, to tell the truth. Yet I'm glad to see you."

"I see…" she bit her lower lip and took a deep breath, as if gathering courage to ask the next question. "Did you wonder why I didn't come back?"

"Too many times," he answered without hesitation.

"What did you guess?"

He went silent for a moment as he fixed his eyes in some point in the sky. "Lots of things, that something bad had happened in that crazy world you live, or that you had found someone…I might have thought I hated you at a time, but those feelings are gone, in fact I've remembered you for the last years with fondness."

"I… that's what I thought… that you hated me, because it was my fault that you became human…" She said as she played nervously with her black locks, her head low.

Inuyasha then reached for her and raised her chin with the slightest of the touches. Her eyes met his.

"No… Kagome, I never hated you for that. I never blamed you, what is more, I thought it was you the one who hated me because I had become weak and defenseless."

Kagome shook her head vehemently. "No! I would never hate you for th--!"

"Don't worry. I know that now. I know you are not like that."

"I… uh," she tried to say something at that but failed. Kagome looked down and noticed the rich blue color in his Hakama and it stuck her. How hadn't she noticed it before?

"You're not using your firerat suit, why? I thought it was a token from your mother."

He smiled. "I still have it, but now I have other ways to remember her." Inuyasha raised his eyes to his daughter again.

"Izayoi!" he called and the girl left her games aside and ran to her father.

"Yes, daddy?" Inuyasha picked her up and sat her on his knees.

"I want you to meet a good friend of mine. She is the powerful miko who helped your mom and me to defeat Naraku. Remember I told you about her?"

"Uh huh," Izayoi muttered, her bright eyes were wide open, looking at Kagome with admiration.

"Wow! Daddy's told me so much about you! Is it true you can purify hundreds of youkai with a single arrow? Can I borrow your bow?"

"No, Izayoi, now you better go inside and get ready, your mother will not be happy when she sees the state of your clothes."

"Yes! I'm glad to meet you, Miko-Sama!" she said and jumped down his leg, hopping all the way into the house.

Inuyasha didn't tear his eyes off her until she disappeared behind the shoji screens, then he turned his attention to his guest and said, "you only knew that evil impersonation Sesshoumaru created once, so you might not remember my mother, but Izayoi looks exactly like her, except for the hair color," he said.

"Yeah… when I saw it I knew immediately she had to be your daughter."

Inuyasha's mouth curved in a smile and his eyes got lost somewhere in time. "Just imagine what Sango and I thought when she was born. We didn't stop looking for fangs or dog ears until she was two years old." Then he returned to the present; there was a slightly alarmed expression on his face, probably because he hadn't planned on dropping that information just yet, but confusion filled him when such revelation didn't produce a set of fury or even a twitch in Kagome.

"I suppose Kaede informed you of everything," he assumed.

"No. I already knew about you and Sango before I came. That's why I didn't return, Inuyasha. Because I _knew_. Why would I come back? I felt I had no reason at all." She felt a strange pang in her chest. She didn't feel angry and betrayed any more, but apparently there was still, buried deep inside, a remaining, small resentment.

"What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled. Kagome almost could see his dog ears twitching.

"You know what I mean…" she muttered.

"I really don't."

"Come on… There's no need to lie, I can handle the truth. I'm a big girl now." She tried to give him a reassuring look but he would only look dumbfounded.

Kagome sighed and spoke like someone telling a child why two and two made four. "I know you married Sango right after I left. You didn't wait for me."

Kagome tried to read his confused eyes but they only confused her as well. Maybe Inuyasha changed a lot during the years, but of one thing she was sure; he didn't know how to lie and his actual face showed he had no idea what she was talking about.

No, that couldn't be. He was faking it.

"Perhaps if you explained to me I'd understand what you are trying to say. All I know is that you promised you'd be back in six months and you didn't." he told her, the confused look wouldn't leave his face.

Kagome rose to her feet and started pacing again, her hands at her back.

"I don't now what you can possibly gain from denying it but alright, I will, if I have to."

"Please."

She stopped and looked down at him. "I know what I promised, but I didn't have the courage to do it, not after what I found out…"

**  
**

* * *

**Tokyo, 1999 a.C.**

"Come on sister, you have to go!" Sota whined, but she was so tired that she hardly could get up from bed. Getting dressed and going all the way to the museum was out of question.

"Grandpa's gonna be really upset if you don't come with us," he insisted.

"He'll deal with it," she mumbled and put a pillow over her head, hopping to muffle her brother's voice, but this time, it wasn't Sota who spoke.

"Daughter, I know you must be exhausted, but this is really important for your grandfather. Could you please make a little effort and come with us?"

Kagome raised her head to find her mother looking at her with a pleading expression. Damn, she couldn't deny anything to her when she made that face.

"Okay… I'll get ready, but I won't stay long 'kay? I've got classes in the afternoon."

"Oh, I thought you finally had one free Sunday," her mother said as she sat on the bed.

"No." She went to her feet and yawned, then moved to her closet and started rummaging for something decent to wear. "We'll study humanities today…" Several pieces of clothes went flying over the bed, missing Mrs. Higurashi by inches.

"Kagome, I'm glad you're studying so hard and I have no doubts you'll pass that exam, but don't you think you should relax a little? All this study is taking its toll on you. You don't eat well, you are getting skinny and there are circles under your eyes," her mother said with a worried tone, but more flying clothes were her only answer.

"Besides, I know you're depressed since your friend Inuyasha hasn't visited in so long," Mr. Higurashi added tentatively.

Kagome stopped her quest, her mother's words ringing in her ears. It was true. It had been almost three months since the last time she had seen Inuyasha and the others and he hadn't come a single time. She missed him so much.

"It's alright mom, he'll come eventually."

"Well, I hope so, now come on, let's hurry or we'll be late. I want you to meet someone before the exposition starts."

"Alright mom."

When they arrived at the museum, hundreds of people were already outside, waiting for the building to open its doors for the inauguration of the important exhibition. Several ancient objects from the last period of the Sengoku Jidai were going to be shown to the public for the first time, and the major expositors were the Kurasawa and the Higurashi family.

Of course, they didn't have to wait with the rest of the public. Kagome and the others were leaded to the interior where other families, who had lent their precious heirlooms, were already waiting.

"Oh! Look! There they are!" Grandpa, dressed with his best clothes, pointed at the part of the museum where the belongings of the ancient Sunset shrine were exposed. Vases, old sacred rolls, amulets, weapons and other utensils looked wonderful and important behind those thick glasses and under those lights.

Kagome didn't know they possessed half those things and felt a little ashamed at how little interest she had shown for her family valuable belongings. But Sota had expressed his desires to be the next guardian of the shrine and Kagome was glad for that, even if she was the one who possessed the spiritual powers.

"I knew I was right when I decided to keep all those relics! Who would have thought they held such an important historical value? See? I told you!"

"Yes, grandpa, you did." Mrs Higurashi chuckled at the old man's excitement but Kagome could only look tired. She was happy, really, but she just didn't have the strength to show it. Anyway her grandfather didn't notice, he just smiled, self-pleased and then went after a couple of guests, explaining them with every detail how the Sunset shrine had been in his family for centuries and how he had fought innumerable evil spirits.

"Yukino?(1) Is that you?" A voice called behind them and Kagome turned to see a woman in her mid-forties smiling at them. Her face was amiable and Kagome thought her eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Kimiko! How nice to see you! It's been what? Twenty years." Mrs. Higurashi greeted her heartily.

"At least! And where's old grandpa Higurashi?"

"Oh, he's showing off somewhere," Mrs. Higurashi waved away. "Look, these are my children, Kagome and Sota. Kagome's about to start her college studies."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kurasawa Kimiko." The woman bowed and Kagome and Sota corresponded the courtesy.

"You must know today we're the stars here, children," Kimiko said, winkling. "Our two families have been linked during more than ten generations and our objects are by far the most interesting ones here. Come on, let me lead you where the Kurasawa exposition is held.

They followed her until they reached another well illuminated, protected area and Kagome felt as if earth was removed from under her feet.

There, behind the glass, well illuminated and with a sign at its side, surely explaining all about its history, was Hiraikotsu.

"Ah, I see you've noticed the boomerang, dear Kagome," Kimiko said, pleased at Kagome's astounded gesture. "Its one of our two most antique objects and it belonged to an ancestor called Sango. The legend says she was a powerful youkai slayer and that she used this weapon to exterminate them, making it fly through the air, chopping members and heads. Isn't that fascinating?" she said lively.

"Wow, It's huge! It must weight a ton! Are you telling me a woman could raise that thing and throw it? That's impossible!" Sota looked at the object, amazed.

"No… it's not, and she was great," Kagome said out of breath, thrilled. She was in presence of a direct descendant of Sango, her good friend Sango! She felt like hugging the woman and telling her all about how her Great great great great great great grand mother was brave and valiant and beautiful. She smiled, delighted, clapping her hands together. Just wait until she goes back and tells Sango about it.

"Do you know her, Kagome?" her mother whispered to her daughter and she nodded happily.

"I'm glad someone believes me! In fact there are many strange stories about my family, for example, look at what we have over here."

Kimiko pointed to another object kept over a velvet cushion. There were family crests surrounding it and its saya shined beautifully with all those reflectors over it.

This time Kagome blinked a couple of times as her mouth hung open.

"And this is the legendary Tessaiga. Its blade is always sharp and unspotted and it's said it can cut through a man as if he was made of paper, not that we have tried," Kimiko laughed. "It belonged to another of my ancestors, who was married to Sango, the slayer. His name was Inuyasha."

It couldn't be. It couldn't be! There _had_ to be a mistake!

"Inuyasha, you said?" Mrs. Higurasha asked. She and Sota looked at each other, bewildered, and then at Kagome, but the girl wouldn't make a single movement.

"Yes! I know it's a strange name, but according to the legend, he was a powerful Inu-youkai who forfeited his powers for his beloved Sango. Isn't that romantic? The taijiya and the youkai," Kimiko stated, oblivious to the surprised faces of her audience.

No. It wasn't romantic, it was a lie! Inuyasha hadn't sacrificed his powers for Sango, it had been for _her_! What was all this? She couldn't understand! She didn't want to understand! Suddenly all she wanted to do is jump down the well and demand for an explanation from those two!

But she stayed, unable to move. She _knew_ she shouldn't have come.

"Kimiko… what else do you know about Sango and Inuyasha?" Mrs. Higurashi asked warily.

"Oh well, I believe they married in 1599, more or less."

* * *

"That's not true!" Inuyasha sprang to his feet, cutting Kagome's chronicle.

"What's not true?" she said, exasperated at being interrupted.

"Sango and I married only five years ago! That's why you didn't return? Because you thought we had married right away?"

"I… yes! What else did you want me to believe? You didn't visit me once in three months and suddenly I find reliable, historical information that the love of my life had married my best friend! What did you want me to do?"

"To come here and find out firsthand!" he shouted. He wasn't feeling serene anymore.

"I couldn't! I didn't dare to come here and… and see it! And besides, if it hadn't been true, you would have gone to visit me and you didn't! Why, Inuyasha?"

"Because the well sealed for me! Your reliable, historical information is bullshit, Stupid wench! It didn't let me go through it!" It had been years since the last time Inuyasha had used such words.

"Wha--? D—do you mean…. You…" Kagome sat down, her eyes huge and her mouth open.

"Exactly, I waited for you for days and months and even years, but you never came. Even Sango built the well shrine for me, so I wouldn't endanger my health in doing so."

Sango had helped him to wait? And they hadn't married right away, as Kimiko had told her! Was it possible that a simple date mistake had occasioned all of this? It sounded too cruel to be true.

Inuyasha rubbed his temples and spoke in a low voice, attempting to calm his temper. "The truth is that your absence gave us the opportunity to know each other and Sango was there for me when I needed you the most. I couldn't help falling in love with her and I'm thankful for that… but you know what, Kagome?"

She just looked at him, waiting for him to go on.

"Probably I wouldn't have married Sango if you had returned."

"And I would have returned if you hadn't married Sango," she answered with a sad smile, then, Kagome started to chuckle.

"Have you gone insane? I could, after finding out all of this," he admitted, frowning.

She took a deep breath and moved her head. "I just laugh at the time paradox we were victims of."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, lost at her words but didn't stop to contemplate them. He still wasn't happy with her justification.

"Still, you should have returned and confirmed it with your own eyes. I don't understand how someone like you, who always wanted to know it all, just accepted that!"

"Because you haven't let me finish the story!"

"Go on then!"

* * *

"Oh well, I believe they married in 1599, more or less. So that makes our families really ancient." Kimiko commented.

"_Our_ families?" asked Sota.

"Why of course. Yukino, didn't you tell them?"

"Uh… sorry, with all the fuzz it slipped past me… Kagome, Sota, Kimiko is my cousin and _your_ aunt." Mrs. Higurashi said, still shaken by the surprise and the implications it held.

_My Aunt? That means I…_

"That's right, we're the two branches that descend from Sango-Sama and Inuyasha-Sama's line. My family has always lived in what until some years, was known as the taijiya hill, but they changed it for some people believed the name was gruesome, and your family has been the guardian of the Sunset shrine."

Kagome's head was spinning and there was no air in her lungs. She felt cold and numb and it just felt as if the whole world had collapsed over her.

Kimiko continued, "So, didn't you know that, according to the tradition, you hold youkai blood in your veins? I bet not, Your side of the family didn't believe in the story that much and they don't usually pass the oral tradition, but I have proofs, like, did you know my hair is originally white? Every three generations or so there's a member of the family with that characteristic, but I dye it black, so I don't call that much attention." She bowed, showing them the clearly white roots breaking through her head.

_Don't think I'll be around waiting for you to return!_

The last word Inuyasha ever spoke to her returned to her head, hitting her like a hammer, buckling her knees.

For Kami. It was true.

"Kagome! Where are you going!" Her mother yelled after her, but she didn't know, she only knew she had to get out of there and run as she had never ran, until her lungs burned and her legs throbbed, until she hurt so much physically that she couldn't feel anything else.

* * *

Inuyasha contemplated her with a piercing gaze, as if it was the first time he had ever set his eyes upon her.

"Then… that means… I'm your… you're my…"

"Yes, that's right. I'm your descendant," Kagome confirmed, nodding.

This time, it was Inuyasha who had to take a sit but it wasn't enough, he was shocked.

There was a rustle behind them.

"Now I understand why you didn't come back. If you had, then many years in the future, you wouldn't have been born," someone said and they turned to see Sango standing there.

"S—Sango," Kagome mumbled, surprised.

Inuyasha looked between them both.

"Hi, Kagome-chan. I've missed you so much." Sango smiled warmly at her and stood beside Inuyasha, who absently extended his hand and entwined his fingers with hers.

"Did you hear what I told Inuyasha?" It was not that Kagome was bad-mannered, she only was startled.

"I heard enough to understand the sacrifice you made for all of us, and I can do nothing but thank you with all my heart." Sango bowed.

Kagome approached her and they stood there in silence for some moments, then, the miko threw her arms around her friend. Sango returned the hug.

Suddenly, it all became real for Kagome. There she was, with those she considered her second family, with the woman that was like her sister, with the man that made her feel love for the first time. Her eyes started to water.

Sango hid her face in her friend's shoulder where she, as well, let her tears fall.

"I've missed you too, Sango-chan," Kagome said at last.

Then, a faint cry crossed the garden and Sango separated from Kagome, her eyes fixed on the house. Izayoi, now with a new, clean kimoko, popped her head from the house and yelled, "Mom! The baby's crying!"

"Baby?" Kagome asked and then she remembered Izayoi mentioning something about a little sister.

Sango looked at Inuyasha, and he gave a nod, smiling.

"Wait here, Kagome," Sango said and then ran to the house.

"This is all so strange." Inuyasha commented after they were left alone. "I know for sure I wouldn't have met Sango had you not come to this era… but you wouldn't have been born if I hadn't met her…"

"I know… I'm responsible for my own existence… tell me about weird."

There was a silence. Inuyasha looked the reflection over the pond's surface for a while before making up his mind and ask: "you still feel something… I mean… for me?"

"Don't worry about that. I'm getting married in a month to Hojo. Do you remember him?" She smiled at the thought of her fiancé.

"The skinny goody boy? Yeah, I do. I'm really happy for you," Inuyasha answered honestly.

In that moment, Sango appeared again carrying a small bundle in her arms. She approached her friend and discovered the blanket to reveal a cute little baby girl with black hair. She couldn't be more than a few months old, but Kagome could already see she would look just like Sango when she grew up.

Inuyasha took the baby and placed it in Kagome's arms and immediately the miko could feel a purifying energy emanating from the infant. She looked at her in awe.

"You feel it too, don't you? This is our daughter," he said with a proud smile. "We thought you should meet her too."

"She's beautiful, and her energy is so powerful!" Kagome said.

Sango spoke, "Even before she was born, Kaede-baachan told us she'd have strong spiritual powers. When she is old enough we'll take her to the Sunset shrine, so she can be educated into the miko ways, if she wants to."

All the pieces were falling into place now. Izayoi would stay in the taijiya hill to mother the Kurasawa family and this tiny baby would go to the Sunset shrine and found the Higurashi family. It was an inenarrable experience to hold that child in her arms.

"What's her name?" she asked.

"You don't have any idea?" asked Sango.

She moved her head.

"Her name's Kagome."

She looked at them, taken aback, and then back to little Kagome. They really didn't hold any bitterness toward her or her absence! They had named their child after her!

"This is too much for me. Grandpa told me once he was the one who picked my name, and that this name belonged to one of my oldest ancestors… and now I find out _this_ ancestor was named after me. Figures, I'm named after myself!" She laughed.

In that moment, Kagome felt someone tugging at her shirt and looked down to see Izayoi carrying a tiny neko youkai who stared at her with bright eyes, her two tails moving incessantly.

"Look Miko-Sama! This is my pet, Kirara, she wants to meet you!"

Kagome gave the baby back to her mother and Kirara jumped over her shoulder, where she snuggled her cheek happily.

"Kirara! I've missed you too!"

That afternoon they spent the time talking about all what had happened, about Shippo, Kagome's flash visit –Inuyasha was relieved to find out he hadn't imagined it-- and promising in general to forgive and forget.

It was incredible for them to be together again, like in the old times, even if the circumstances were so different and Miroku and Shippo were no longer there. All the sudden, Kagome felt like hanging her backpack on her shoulder and start walking with them by any road that appeared in from of them, camping under the starts and cooking instant ramen – she thought with a smile –, yet those times would never come back.

That night Kagome stayed with them, but when the next day arose, suddenly it became too hard to part ways.

"You could stay a little longer, Kagome, there's plenty of room. We've had so little time…" Sango pleaded. They were standing outside the gates while Kagome readied her horse.

"I really can't… I've got a wedding to plan and besides, Hojo must be really worried about me," she said.

"We understand… Will you come back?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome looked at the couple and heaved a sigh. Sadness bathed her face as she looked down, then said in a gloomy voice, "I wish I could, but I've messed up with time enough and I don't think it'd be wise to keep coming here. I'm afraid I might change something I'm not supposed to change… I'm sorry."

"Well… for what we've been taught, I suppose if you come back at all, it will be because it's meant to be…" Sango tried to conceal her sadness with a small smile, but with no avail.

"Yeah… I guess so…" Kagome's voice trailed off. They stayed in silence for some moments, acceptance and denial in their eyes. That until Kagome spoke, offering a bright smile. "Well, I'm ready," she declared and moved toward them.

"I'm so sorry for ever doubting you as a friend, Sango," she said as she hugged the taijiya.

"Don't be, I didn't consider myself a very good one at times, but that's all over now. Remember you're like my sister Kagome-chan. Always."

"I know, you too."

Then she moved to Inuyasha. "What will you tell your children about me, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha gave her a little smile before answering, "the truth, that you were a wonderful, brave person, who healed our hearts and brought us together, and that we loved you very much."

"Thank you." Kagome smiled and decided it was time to go before she got all weepy and sentimental. She mounted on the horse.

"Well, I think that's it. I'm really glad I could see you again. Don't forget me, Okay?"

"There's no way we could," Sango said.

Kagome was ready to leave when she remembered something.

"Oh! I almost forgot!"

She took off her weapons and handed them to Inuyasha, who received them with inquisitiveness.

"My mother told me later that aunt Kimiko had showed them a bow and a quiver that, according to the legend, had been given to my ancestors by the miko who joined their lives… Kaede-baachan didn't give you ones, did she?"

"No," answered Sango.

"Then I suppose these are the items."

Inuyasha looked at them appreciatively. "Thanks."

"Well… good bye then, Inuyasha-Sama, Sango-Sama," She said, callng them with the respect that older, respected people deserved. After all, they were her great grandparents. She finally smiled and then hit the reins. The horse started its race, its rider didn't turn her head back.

Sango and Inuyasha stayed there for a long time, watching her retreating form as it became dim against the early sun.

They never saw her again.

**El fin. The end. C'est tout. Adios.**

* * *

(1) Sorry, some one knows the name of Kagome's mother? I just had to come up with one. 

And a final note: I know that Inuyasha's quest didn't last (won't last? I don't know if there is finally a series end) three years, but I just had to adjust the timeline in order for this story to work out, other way Kagome wouldn't have had the age to go to college.

I also know that during the period I set this story in, the weapons among common people was banned (and that would include Inuyasha and Sango) but I just wanted them to be in a period where they could have some stability and peace so they could raise their family. And Tokugawa Ieyatsu's period was the right one, at the end of the Sengoku Jidai, even if it doesn't match the period the exact manga is set on.

I want to thank Mujitsu for her great help, she is a dedicated beta-reader who helped me with my language mistakes, for English is not my first language. Everybody, give her kudos as well.

And of course, thank you so much to all the loyal readers who followed this story from the beginning. Guys, you rock and you inspired me to keep writing. Arigato!

Did you know that Kagome's name in Spanish was changed to "Aome"? Wonder why? LoL! Ask any latin friend!


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